LOCKHEED Martin Corp (LMT.N) was awarded a $US498.2 million ($569.53 million) contract to supply F-16 aircraft to Pakistan...
...Lockheed will sell 12 F-16C plus 6 F-16D planes to Pakistan under the contract...
...Pakistan has received about $US10 billion ($11.43 billion) in US funding since 2001 ...
...The US has agreed to sell Pakistan up to 36 new F-16 jets together with refurbished F-16s....
This is part of the deal made in 2003, and finalized in 2005, as reported by Kyodo News (June 24, 2003, Pakistan expects to get 28 F-16s from U.S., now on FindArticles):
...It said that in exchange for the package, Pakistan would provide greater operation access to U.S. troops in seeking out al-Qaida and Taliban activists hiding in Pakistan, particularly in tribal areas adjoining Pakistan.
During the war against then Soviet Union troops in the 1980s, Pakistan had negotiated purchase of 28 F-16 aircraft from the U.S., but their supply was withheld when the U.S. imposed an embargo on all economic and military assistance to Pakistan in 1990 because of its nuclear program.
The U.S. wrote off $1 billion in loans to Pakistan and rescheduled the remaining $2 billion for repayment over a period of 35 years after the 2001 terrorist attack on the U.S. The think tank suggested that remaining $2 billion may get written off now.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (Iran) (Pakistan receives two F-16s fighter planes: official posted here) reported the arrival of two of the jets' order in December 2005, after Musharraf decided to postpone additional purchases due to earthquake relief needs. The Taipei Times reported (Nov 6, 2005, Pakistan postpones buying F-16s) "An F-16 can cost up to about US$40 million, depending on the model and the configuration." Pakistan has already purchased the Swedish version of AWACS. The Associated Press on the Sydney Morning Herald (March 26, 2005, Bush rewards Pakistan with fleet of F-16s) notes that Pakistan paid in advance for their 1980s F16s, that order never being completed.
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