The Pentagon notified Congress on Tuesday about three proposed arms deals with Pakistan, including the sale of eight P-3C Orion surveillance aircraft valued at $970 million. The Defence Security Co-operation Agency, which handles foreign arms sales for the Pentagon, said it also planned to sell Pakistan 2,000 TOW-2A missiles and 14 TOW-2A Fly-to-Buy missiles in a deal valued at $82 million.
Pakistan had also requested the sale of six 'Phalanx' rapid-fire 20-mm guns for Pakistan surface ships, and the upgrade of six additional gun systems, a contract worth up to $155 million, the agency said.
Lawmakers now have 30 days to block the proposed arms sales, but Defence officials and Congress sources said that it was considered extremely unlikely.
The Pentagon said the proposed arms agreements would help "improve the security of a friendly country which has been and continues to be an important force for economic progress in South Asia and the global war on terrorism."
It said the P-3C aircraft, built by Lockheed Martin Corporation, would improve Pakistan's ability to restrict the movement of militants along its southern border, in particular, and improve border security everywhere.
The Raytheon Co TOW missiles had recently been employed in the tribal areas of Pakistan, giving Pakistan government new tools in its fight to combat terrorism, DSCA said.
Raytheon, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, also produces the 'Phalanx' gun systems which, DSCA said, Pakistan would use to beef up the defences of its surface ships against inbound aircraft, missiles, and fast moving surface crafts.