It was long coming and now it’s finally happening. The United States began delivering the long-anticipated F-16 aircraft to Pakistan on Tuesday with the handing over of two 'Fighter Falcons’ to the Pak Air Force.
The two aircraft that were flown from US were given to PAF in a ceremony held at an air force base near Sargodha in Pakistan.
The aircraft were flown by Commander of Central Air Command of US Air Force Lt-Gen Gary L. North, along with a colleague over eight hours across the Atlantic.
Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mehmood Ahmed, US Ambassador Anne W Peterson, and other PAF officers were present on the occasion.
Ahmed announced the rest of the F-16 fleet of 10 aircraft will be handed over to Pakistan in installments up to mid 2008.
US had stopped supplying the jets to Pakistan after the Pressler amendment was passed by the US Congress in 1990s.
Later, these were given to the US air force and navy.
Ahmed was quoted by agencies as saying the delivery of the aircraft to Pakistan was only possible after hectic negotiations with the US Air Force.
He also said offers had been made by the US Administration to get the similar number of aircraft being used by the US Navy from the US National Guards.
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