Qureshi submits new weapon wish list to America

Post 9/11,Pakistan has received more than USD 7 billion worth of arms sale from the US,authoritative sources said.

In fact,major US arms sales and grants to Pakistan since 2001 have included items useful for counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations,along with a number of “big ticket” platforms more suited to conventional warfare; which is primarily targeted against India.

According to Pentagon reports,total Foreign Military Sales agreements with Pakistan worth about USD 5 billion for FY2002-FY2009 (in-process sales of F-16 combat aircraft and related equipment account for about three-quarters of this).

The US also has provided Pakistan with more than USD 2.1 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) since 2001 (including scheduled FY2010 funds). These funds are used to purchase US military equipment for longer-term modernization efforts.

Pakistan has also been granted US defence supplies as Excess Defence Articles (EDA),the sources said.

Some of the major post-2001 defence supplies provided,or soon to be provided,under FMF include eight P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and their refurbishment (valued at USD 474 million); about five 250 TOW anti-armor missiles (USD 186 million; 2,007 delivered); more than 5,600 military radio sets (USD 163 million); six AN/TPS-77 surveillance radars (USD 100 million); six C-130E transport aircraft and their refurbishment (USD 76 million); five refurbished SH-2I Super Seasprite maritime helicopters granted under EDA (USD 67 million); one ex-Oliver Hazard Perry class missile frigate via EDA (USD 65 million); 20 AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters via EDA (USD 48 million,12 refurbished and delivered); and 121 refurbished TOW missile launchers (USD 25 million).