US Administration handed over three more F-16 Block-52 fighter jets, which entered in Pakistan territory on Saturday flying by Pakistani pilots. These three state-of-the-art F-16 aircraft would be inducted at the newly upgraded base in Jacobabad. Pakistan is the second country after Israel to get these aircraft from the US, according to officials of Pakistan Air Force.
According to Pak-US agreement, it had been decided that in the first phase, US would hand over 3 F-16 Block C fighter jets to Pakistan, whereas in the second phase five F-16 Block 52 C fighter jets would be handed over within one and a half months. While overall a total of 18 fighter jets would be inducted in the PAF fleet by the end of this year.
After the induction of eighteen F-16 Block-52 Jets the PAF fleet of F-16s would swell to 63. Pakistani officials said that discussion with US authorities is going on for another fourteen F16 Block 52 C jets and they were optimistic of delivery of these jets.
These fighter planes would be kept at Shahbaz Airbase, which had been turned into a formal operation base, and Pakistan would utilise these planes for its operational objectives, they maintained. It has been learnt that the fighter jets are equipped with modern technology and Pakistani pilots have got special training from US to fly these planes. The planes are also equipped with BVR missile and electronic jammers, laser guided bombs and night attack.