WASHINGTON: The United States has approved US$ 125 million for the provision of technical and logistics support to Pakistan for its F-16 program, maintaining that it will not alter the basic military balance in South Asia.
In a press release, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) that the US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Pakistan for Technical Security Team in continued support of the F-16 program for an estimated cost of US$ 125 million.
.@StateDept authorizes a proposed Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to #Pakistan for Technical Security Team (TST) Continued Support of the F-16 Program worth $125 million @StateDeptPM @State_SCA #FMSUpdate–https://t.co/jUThWcz29D
— Political-Military Affairs, US Dept of State (@StateDeptPM) July 26, 2019
The DSCA said that the Pakistani government had requested a continuation of technical support services; US government and contractor technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics support to assist in the oversight of operations in support of the Pakistan Peace Drive advanced F-16 program.
The DSCA said that this proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by protecting US technology through the continued presence of US personnel that provide 24/7 end-use monitoring.
Furthermore, it stated that the principal contractor is Booz Allen Hamilton Engineering Services LLC, Fairborn, Ohio.
It said that the implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of 60 contractor representatives to Pakistan to assist in the oversight of operations as part of the Peace Drive F-16 program.
