Pakistan to buy fighter planes to match India

ISLAMABAD, April 4: Pakistan has expressed its "concern" at the growing disparity with India in conventional arms and has decided ...

ISLAMABAD, April 4: Pakistan has expressed its "concern" at the growing disparity with India in conventional arms and has decided to take fresh initiatives to procure hi-tech fighter planes from Russia, France and Sweden.

Pakistan’s pressing defence requirements were discussed at the first meeting of the defence committee of the cabinet (DCC) here yesterday in which regional security environment was the main topic of discussion, media reports today said.

The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, was attended by finance, foreign and interior ministers. The three services chiefs, who were also present in the meeting, noted with concern that Pakistan lagged behind its "adversaries" in conventional arms and the gap was widening.

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There was a consensus in the meeting that Pakistan Air Force (PAF) immediately required top-of-the-line fighter aircraft and it was decided that PAF should take fresh initiative with Russia, Sweden and other sources for procurement of a suitable fighter, the Muslimsaid quoting sources.

The "news" also quoted one of the participants of the meeting as saying, "Pakistan needs new high-tech aircraft to narrow the disparity between India and Pakistan which has gone almost seven to one in high-tech fighter planes".

The daily further said that it would be extremely difficult to counter the "threat" from India without a new high-tech fighter as India has started inducting Russian Sukhoi aircraft in an "aggressive" aircraft upgradation plan.

The DCC discussed French Mirage-2000, Russian SU-27 and some western aircraft as some of the options, it said.

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The meeting also discussed the option of going to mount against United States over the F-16 issue as Pakistan is yet to get the delivery of the 28 F-16 aircraft despite making the payment about a decade ago.