F-16 To India

In February 2007, Ratan Tata took to the skies in a high-speed adventure that few would ever experience. At the Aero India Show held in Bengaluru, Mr Tata, 69 at the time, was invited by US defence contractor Lockheed Martin to co-pilot an F-16.

At the height of the Kargil war, 25 years ago, Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 jets, which were used to hit Pakistani posts, locked onto Pakistan Air Force F-16s and could have launched air to air missiles if they were threatened.

The United States brought its most advanced fighter jet, the F-35, to India for the first time this week alongside F-16s, Super Hornets and B-1B bombers as Washington looks to woo New Delhi away from its traditional military supplier, Russia.

Notwithstanding India's concerns, the United States is all set to provide USD 450 million F-16 sustainment package to Pakistan as there has been no objection to the deal from the Senate within the mandatory 30-day notice period.

The US on Tuesday defended its decision to approve a USD 450 million F-16 fighter jet fleet sustainment programme to Pakistan, saying it is "our obligation" to provide military equipment.

India and Pakistan are both partners of the US with different points of emphasis, the Biden administration said Monday, a day after India's S Jaishankar questioned the rationale behind the latest American F-16 security assistance to Islamabad.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has raised questions over the "merits" of the US-Pakistan relationship and said that Washington's ties with Islamabad have not served the "American interest".

The Biden administration's green light for key spares for Pakistan's F-16 fighter jets "is not designed as a message to India as it relates to its relationship with Russia", a top American defence official has said.

The Indian Air Force is set to retire its Srinagar-based MiG-21 squadron 'Sword Arms' that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was a part of when he had downed an F-16 combat aircraft of Pakistan a day after the Balakot strike in February 2019.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday conveyed to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin India's concerns over Washington's decision to provide sustenance package for Pakistan's F-16 fleet.

The Biden administration has approved a $450 million F-16 fighter jet fleet sustainment programme to Pakistan to help it meet current and future counterterrorism threats, in Washington's first major security assistance to Islamabad in four years.

Ratan Tata is no stranger to flying. As a 17-year-old, the patriarch of India's biggest conglomerate once landed a plane that had lost its sole engine mid-flight. He's also piloted the supersonic F-16 fighter jet.

Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa (retired) has said Pakistan did not have a choice other than to release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, days after his MiG-21 was downed in a dogfight in February last year. The Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot had also scored a kill, a Pakistani F-16, before his plane went down in Pakistan and he was captured.

The Indian Air Force on its 87th birthday today sprung a surprise on Pakistan in response to its claims of shooting down a Sukhoi-30MKI in February. In the clear skies above Hindon Air Force Station near Delhi, three nimble French-origin Mirage-2000s flanked by two larger Sukhoi-30MKIs flew in what is known as the "Avenger" formation as the spectat...

The 51 Squadron to which Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman belongs will be awarded the unit citation by Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, news agency ANI reported. The Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot shot down an advanced American-made F-16 before his own legacy MiG-21 Bison fell to enemy fire in February, in the air battle that took place after Indi...

In February 2007, Ratan Tata took to the skies in a high-speed adventure that few would ever experience. At the Aero India Show held in Bengaluru, Mr Tata, 69 at the time, was invited by US defence contractor Lockheed Martin to co-pilot an F-16.

At the height of the Kargil war, 25 years ago, Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 jets, which were used to hit Pakistani posts, locked onto Pakistan Air Force F-16s and could have launched air to air missiles if they were threatened.

The United States brought its most advanced fighter jet, the F-35, to India for the first time this week alongside F-16s, Super Hornets and B-1B bombers as Washington looks to woo New Delhi away from its traditional military supplier, Russia.

Notwithstanding India's concerns, the United States is all set to provide USD 450 million F-16 sustainment package to Pakistan as there has been no objection to the deal from the Senate within the mandatory 30-day notice period.

The US on Tuesday defended its decision to approve a USD 450 million F-16 fighter jet fleet sustainment programme to Pakistan, saying it is "our obligation" to provide military equipment.

India and Pakistan are both partners of the US with different points of emphasis, the Biden administration said Monday, a day after India's S Jaishankar questioned the rationale behind the latest American F-16 security assistance to Islamabad.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has raised questions over the "merits" of the US-Pakistan relationship and said that Washington's ties with Islamabad have not served the "American interest".

The Biden administration's green light for key spares for Pakistan's F-16 fighter jets "is not designed as a message to India as it relates to its relationship with Russia", a top American defence official has said.

The Indian Air Force is set to retire its Srinagar-based MiG-21 squadron 'Sword Arms' that Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was a part of when he had downed an F-16 combat aircraft of Pakistan a day after the Balakot strike in February 2019.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday conveyed to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin India's concerns over Washington's decision to provide sustenance package for Pakistan's F-16 fleet.

The Biden administration has approved a $450 million F-16 fighter jet fleet sustainment programme to Pakistan to help it meet current and future counterterrorism threats, in Washington's first major security assistance to Islamabad in four years.

Ratan Tata is no stranger to flying. As a 17-year-old, the patriarch of India's biggest conglomerate once landed a plane that had lost its sole engine mid-flight. He's also piloted the supersonic F-16 fighter jet.

Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa (retired) has said Pakistan did not have a choice other than to release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, days after his MiG-21 was downed in a dogfight in February last year. The Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot had also scored a kill, a Pakistani F-16, before his plane went down in Pakistan and he was captured.

The Indian Air Force on its 87th birthday today sprung a surprise on Pakistan in response to its claims of shooting down a Sukhoi-30MKI in February. In the clear skies above Hindon Air Force Station near Delhi, three nimble French-origin Mirage-2000s flanked by two larger Sukhoi-30MKIs flew in what is known as the "Avenger" formation as the spectat...

The 51 Squadron to which Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman belongs will be awarded the unit citation by Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, news agency ANI reported. The Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot shot down an advanced American-made F-16 before his own legacy MiG-21 Bison fell to enemy fire in February, in the air battle that took place after Indi...