On 08 December, the U.S. Department of State cleared and submitted a proposal to Congress for the supply of defence articles valued at USD $686 million for the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) F-16 fleet.
The proposed package consists of 92 Link-16 tactical data-link (TDL) systems, six inert Mk82 general purpose bomb (GPB) bodies (used for training purposes), AN/APX-126 Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF) systems, KY-58M and KIV-78 cryptographic appliques, AN/APQ -10C Simple Key Loaders, ADU-891 missile adaptor units, and various other “weapons integration, test, and support equipment.”
Of the total $686 million, about $37 million will go toward the purchase of Major Defence Equipment (MDE), while the remainder, $649 million, will cover non-MDE items such as support and training.
According to the State Department’s submission to Congress, the deal will “extend the aircraft life [of the PAF’s F-16 fleet] through 2040 while addressing critical flight safety concerns.” The proposal also highlights that the update will continue enabling the PAF’s F-16s to interoperate with U.S. Air Force and other coalition fighters in combat operations, exercises, and training.
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The proposal represents the first – albeit modest – genuine capability upgrade for the Pakistani F-16 fleet since the completion of the Peace Drive program, which saw the PAF induct 18 new-build Block-52 aircraft and upgrade its approximately 45 F-16A/B Block-15s.
The most notable element is the inclusion of 92 Link-16 TDL terminals, but with the AN/APX-126 AIFF system as well as KY-58M and KIV-78 cryptographic modules. This update likely aims to make the PAF F-16 fleet Mode 5 IFF (identification of friend-or-foe) interoperable and, as a result, bring the PAF F-16 fleet into compliance with NATO’s post-2020 IFF standards. In effect, this is the main component allowing the PAF’s F-16s to interoperate with U.S. and allied/coalition aircraft (such as the aircraft used in the Gulf or Turkey) for joint exercises or operations. At this point, the PAF’s F-16s can only operate from Mode 4 through their existing AN/APX-113s.
However, it should also be noted that the Link-16 TDL terminal with the KY-58M and KIV-78 strongly implies that the PAF is upgrading from its current MIDS-LVT to the MIDS-JTRS. The MIDS-LVT provides a data throughput of 115 kbps, while the MIDS-JTRS exceeds 1Mbps – i.e., a significant increase in bandwidth that allows for higher fidelity targeting (e.g., faster track updates), reduced latency, and greater sensor-feed sharing. That said, it is still not at the level the PAF aims to achieve for its next-generation, stealth fighter-led operations, but MIDS-JTRS will still be a significant capability upgrade. In itself, the new datalinking architecture of the F-16s will allow the fighters to support the PAF’s future air combat posture thanks to the higher throughput.
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