By Sohail Parwaz
The growling in Indian stomachs started last year when in May, the US handed over to Pakistan, over 14 combat aircraft, 59 military trainer jets and 374 armoured personnel carriers, used in Afghanistan and Iraq by the American forces. The announcement of selling eight more F-16 by the Obama administration, in an attempt to shore up the two countries’ relationship despite Washington’s reservations about Pakistan’s growing nuclear arsenal, came as adding salt to the Indian injuries. The Indian lobby with the support of the Western media and The New York Times as the flag bearer of the malicious campaign initiated a controversy about the supply claiming that the aircrafts will be used against India and not against the terrorist outfits.
One could understand the reasons behind Indians showing lost sleep. It was mainly because of two reasons; firstly, the supply of this used equipment on the request of Pakistan, for a billion dollars worth of military hardware and equipment, was approved by the US State Department just within one month which was a clear sign that the US identifies Pakistan as a country of vital importance for US foreign policy and national interests. The second reason has got nothing to do with Pakistan and it is rather India’s own confusion and inefficiency since latter has not been able to choose their MCA (main combat aircraft) yet, which was to replace the MIG-21, the backbone of Indian Air Force by 2012. Thanks to those few worried Indian minds who at least decided to replace current main battle aircrafts MIG-21 & 27 with the indigenously built HAL Teja, though Teja too is in confusing state.
Out of total 245 MiG-21MF, about 100 (Type 88) and one squadron of upgraded MiG-21 Bison aircrafts are to be retired in 2017, however, remaining 132 aircrafts are to be phased out by 2022 or 2025, which are to be replaced by the HAL Tejas; an indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), for developing which, India spent decades. Two squadrons of the Tejas will be commissioned before 2020, and four squadrons of a higher-end Tejas Mark II in the mid 2020s. But IAF officers widely express skepticism and contempt about the quality of the Mark I, while the production of the Mark II is increasingly delayed. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which developed the Tejas, has made efforts to push a slightly improved Mark IA variation onto the IAF, and even suggested that this could prevent the need for the Mark II altogether, but this seems unlikely to be met with enthusiasm by those who actually have to fly the aircraft in combat.
At the high end is the T-50, a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA), part of Russia’s PAK-FA program, whose first prototype flew in 2010 and has been in testing since. Although, India is notionally co-developing the aircraft, however, in practice, India’s role has grown increasingly limited to tyre and radar coolant. In recent past there is growing discontentment among the Indian air force since the Russians treat Indians like broods. Moreover, the sane among the Indians raised protesting voice about turning the IAF into a total Russian fleet for another generation and the risks of betting heavily on an unproven platform, with obvious doubts over the aircraft’s engines, stealth features, weapons carriage, radar, and safety. Unsurprisingly, two quick slashes in the prospective order were made, one after the other, in September 2014 and then in August 2015, a total cut down of 70%, from ten squadrons (220 aircraft) to just three (63 aircraft). So that pretty clearly shows the reason as to why the Indians make hue and cry on the supply to Pakistan.
Coming back to the F-16 deal, the Indian lobby and their American well wishers had a very strong hope that the Congress would block the aircraft sales. The New York Time had severe objection regarding informing the Congress about the proposed sale of the additional fighters, just days before Pakistani Prime Minister’s visit of US in October 2015. The NYT report claimed that many in the US Congress were concerned that the F-16 jets are more useful to Pakistan in its long confrontation with India than for counterterrorism operations. The newspaper on behest of Indian lobby widely propagated that the Congress was not willing to approve the deal.
Whenever there is a talk of military hardware supply to Pakistan, the anti-Pakistan forces with India in lead, would immediately start beating the drum about Pakistan’s so-called nuclear expansion programs. Even in this case when the US showed intentions about handing over eight F 16 toPakistan the so called nuclear analysts started a needless discussion in media. In a report released in late October 2015, two ‘authoritative’ nuclear analysts Hans M. Kristensen and Robert S. Norris estimated that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons stockpile will possibly expand further to 220 to 250 warheads in coming 10 years, to make Pakistan the world’s fifth largest nuclear weapons state behind the United States, Russia, China and France.
(To be concluded)
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