New Delhi: Two days after the Indian Air Force displayed parts of an AMRAAM beyond visual range air-to-air missile as evidence to "conclusively" prove that Pakistan deployed US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets during an aerial raid targeting Indian military installations in Kashmir, the US has said that it is seeking more information on the same.
“We are aware of these reports and are seeking more information,” a US embassy spokesperson told News18 when asked whether Pakistan had violated any laws in its use of American-made defence equipment in its air strikes on India.
India’s display of the AMRAAM missile came a day after Pakistan claimed that no F-16 fighter jets were used and denied that one of its planes had been downed by the Indian Air Force.
The central government has shared with the United States evidence of the fighter jet brought down by IAF pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, in an aerial dogfight over the Line of Control on Wednesday to bolster its case about misuse of the fighter aircraft against India.
According to Pentagon's Defense Security and Cooperation Agency (DSCA) F-16 jets were meant to be used to "enhance Pakistan's ability to conduct counter-insurgency and counterterrorism operations". Publicly available documents reveal that the US has imposed nearly a dozen restriction on Pakistan related to its use of F-16.
Documents in the public domain shows that Pakistan was indeed sold the AMRAAM missiles, which can only be fired from an F-16, also bought by Pakistan from the US.
IN 2016, the US Congress had written to the then Obama administration over the sale of F16s, saying that Pakistan’s behaviour had not changed and that it was not in anyone’s interest to further Pakistan’s defence capability considering its alleged complicity in terrorist activity. The sale, however, went through. Pakistan has been taking deliveries of the F-16s, now manufactured by Lockheed Martin, from the US since the early 80s.
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