Why Pakistan can't use its F-16 jets against India
Whichever way the battle turns, it is expected that aerial power may play a key role
When Pakistan said it had downed five Indian jets, the matter sparked a lot of discussion.
It was easily a win for the country for many. But it is feared the conflict can get even bigger.
Taking to X, South Asia analyst Micheal Kugelman wrote, "India's strike on Pakistan is of much greater scale than the one in 2019. Pakistan's response, which according to many reports included downing several Indian jets, has also exceeded the scale of 2019. They're already higher up the escalatory ladder than any time in '19 crisis."
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Whichever way the battle turns, it is expected that aerial power may play a key role.
India has airpower of around 680+ combat aircraft.
Pakistan, on the other hand, has around 410+, but it comes with a caveat.
Of Pakistan's total jets, around 75 are the F-16, bought from the US.
And the US has restricted Pakistan's use of American-supplied fighter jets against India due to End-User Agreements and geopolitical concerns.
The F-16s were provided for counter-terrorism purposes (especially in the context of Afghanistan), not conventional war against other states, particularly India.
Any misuse can lead to suspension of spares, maintenance contracts, or even sanctions.
In 2019, Pakistan was said to have violated this when it allegedly deployed the jets for air strikes on Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir.
At the time, however, the US quietly handled the matter.
A former State Department official, who was handling the Pakistan desk during the George W Bush administration in early 2000, told ThePrint, "The US will not be able to do much on this at all because the provisions of the end-user agreements are not legally binding."
But it remains to be seen whether Pakistan would take such a risk again, unless very necessary.
Pakistan can, however, turn to its far more superior fleet of Chinese-made J-10C Vigorous Dragon.
These outclass others in terms of speed, range, radar and missile capability.
They also come equipped with the PL-15, one of the most advanced Chinese long-range air-to-air missiles.
Furthermore it is seen as a counter to India's prized Rafale jets.
Currently, Pakistan is said to have around 25-30 J-10Cs.
There's also the JF-17 Block III, which is Pakistan's most indigenous multirole fighter.
In the end, the aging F-16s may not play the most critical role.
For now, the world only calls for calm to prevail.
