WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Pakistan has signed an agreement for the procurement of 700 American-made air-to-air missiles for its fighter jets.
The purchase includes 200 of the venerable AIM-9M Sidewinders and another 500 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) that will give the Pakistani air force a dependable beyond-visual range weapon against hostile aircraft.
The weapons will be delivered by Raytheon starting next year and running through 2011.
"This is the largest single purchase of AMRAAM missiles in the history of the AMRAAM international program," Raytheon Vice President Brock McCaman said in a statement Monday. "The combat-proven 'one-two punch' of Raytheon's AMRAAM/Sidewinder technology will give the Pakistan air force the necessary firepower to accomplish vital air defense missions."
Pakistan has a fleet of U.S.-built F-16 fighter aircraft and other planes that serve as air-defense interceptors as well as AWACs command-and-control planes to help monitor the nation's airspace and border with rival neighbor India.
Although the sale of F-16s to Pakistan was seen by some analysts as a dubious raising of tensions between two nuclear neighbors, others framed it in terms of "good fences making good neighbors." Analysts pointed out that India had beyond-visual range missiles as well, and that making it tougher to dominate air space over Pakistan would also make it tougher to move ground forces in over the rugged terrain that is highly unsuitable for armor.
