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Summary A US firm, Lockheed Martin, has secured the contract to provide 10 upgrade kits for Pakistan's F-16.
Lockheed Martin has secured a $42.3 million contract to provide 10 upgrade kits for Pakistans F-16 A/B aircraft, under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.Despite troubled relations with Washington after the American special forces 2 May raid into Pakistan to kill Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden, the Pentagon continues to support Pakistans air force.The upgrade kit deal follows a late July announcement that specialist communications producer L-3 Communications was awarded a contract to build two F-16C Block 52 aircrew training devices for the Pakistan Air Force.In late May, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced that Pakistan had requested a FMS deal to acquire spare parts for a number of its aircraft, including the Lockheed Martin C-130 transport, F-16 fighter and T-33 trainer, as well as the Cessna T-37 trainer.Earlier this year the Pakistan air force inducted 17 new F-16 Block 52 fighters into 5 Squadron -- part of an 18-aircraft deal signed in 2006.Pakistans 34 F-16A/B Block 15 aircraft are also undergoing mid-life upgrades.
