SOURCE : AFI
Pakistan’s top military official, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, recently visited Ankara, Turkey, in a move highlighting the growing defense ties between the two nations.
General Mirza met with key Turkish defense officials, including Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Chief of General Staff General Metin Gurak, and Land Forces Commander General Selcuk Baytaktaroglu. A key topic of discussion was reportedly the potential acquisition of Turkish F-16 fighter jets.
The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) currently operates around 75 F-16s, but a significant portion (around 57) are older Block 15 MLU models nearing retirement. Pakistan seeks to replace these jets and modernize its remaining F-16s.
The United States, a traditional supplier of military equipment to Pakistan, recently declined to provide a fresh batch of weapons for the PAF’s F-16s. This has pushed Pakistan to explore alternative options.
Turkey, meanwhile, possesses a large fleet of F-16s, including older C/D versions. With the US offering Turkey a package of 40 new F-16Vs and modernization kits for its existing fleet, surplus Turkish C/D models could become available.
Pakistan’s interest lies in acquiring these older Turkish F-16s to supplement its fleet and potentially modernize its existing MLU 15s with Turkish-made air-to-air missiles.Whether a concrete deal emerges remains to be seen. Negotiations involving aircraft acquisition and integration of foreign weapons systems can be complex.