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View Full Version : US Faces The F-16s It Supplied Pakistan



Psychoblues
09-15-2008, 01:08 AM
We probably trained their pilots as well.

Source: Times of India

WASHINGTON: The United States is suddenly faced with the uncomfortable scenario of confronting the very same weapons and military hardware, including F-16 fighter jets, it has armed Pakistan with for decades.

The unsavoury prospect of having to take a crack at the its one-time ally has surfaced most starkly in the skies over the Afghan-Pakistan border this weekend after the Pakistan Air Force deployed its US-supplied F-16s to challenge the violation of its airspace by US drones, and in one case, an airborne assault that landed US Navy Seals inside Pakistani territory.

The turnaround of Pakistan from an ally to a potential enemy has alarmed lawmakers, some of whom are now questioning the continued supply of arms to Islamabad. On Tuesday, a Democrat-controlled House Foreign Relations panel has scheduled a hearing whose snarky title -- ''Defeating al-Qaida's Air Force: Pakistan's F-16 Program in the Fight Against Terrorism'' == betrays the unease over the Bush Administration’s relentless arming of Pakistan. Al-Qaida has no known air force.

Some lawmakers and analysts have long questioned the need for Washington to arm Pakistan with sophisticated fighter jets to counter Al-Qaida’s and Taliban’s diffused militants, many of whom are in Pakistan’s towns and cities and are patronised by Islamabad’s intelligence agencies. ''The panel will look at how the F-16 program fits into the broader US strategy in the fight against terrorism as well as into the overall US relationship with Pakistan,'' a notification from the sub-committee read.............

Pakistan’s army chief Pervez Kiyani has vowed to defend the country against US incursions ''at all costs.''...........

More: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/US_faces_the_F-16s_it_supplied_Pakistan/articleshow/3482718.cms

Being the prez is a damned tough gig!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

darin
09-15-2008, 07:19 AM
Thank God their pilots can't hold water to ours. :)

Iran has F16s, too, IIRC. We've been arming lots of people throughout history. As it suits us - with little strategic planning, or bad planning, or just 'do'h' planning when things didn't work out.

I remember one story where a Weapons manufacturer was actually KIDNAPPED by terrorists. He was nearly killed - thankfully they placed a magnet aroud his heart to keep the shell fragments from killing him. Anywho, he was forced to build weapons for them. Thank God he actually built a wearable weapon system which he used to free himself.

Psychoblues
09-15-2008, 07:37 AM
Have you heard about the billions of greenbacks that we've been spending in South America, namely Bolivia and Venezuela?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?


Thank God their pilots can't hold water to ours. :)

Iran has F16s, too, IIRC. We've been arming lots of people throughout history. As it suits us - with little strategic planning, or bad planning, or just 'do'h' planning when things didn't work out.

I remember one story where a Weapons manufacturer was actually KIDNAPPED by terrorists. He was nearly killed - thankfully they placed a magnet aroud his heart to keep the shell fragments from killing him. Anywho, he was forced to build weapons for them. Thank God he actually built a wearable weapon system which he used to free himself.

I'll post about it later. Right now the otherwise ignorance of the reichwingers has me a bit overwhelmed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

theHawk
09-15-2008, 08:12 AM
I haven't heard Obama saying he'd stop all arms sales from the US to foreign countries. You know, our economy is hurting so bad and we need the jobs.

Psychoblues
09-15-2008, 08:18 AM
You haven't heard about a lot of things, huk.



I haven't heard Obama saying he'd stop all arms sales from the US to foreign countries. You know, our economy is hurting so bad and we need the jobs.

Why am I not surprised?

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

Kathianne
09-15-2008, 08:45 AM
You haven't heard about a lot of things, huk.




Why am I not surprised?

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

So, Obama would stop all arms sales? :smoke:

Psychoblues
09-15-2008, 08:52 AM
Why would he do such a thing, Kat?



So, Obama would stop all arms sales? :smoke:

I thinketh you're getting a little caught up in the reichwingers arguments and obfuscations, Kat. I thought better of you than that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

Kathianne
09-15-2008, 08:53 AM
Why would he do such a thing, Kat?




I thinketh you're getting a little caught up in the reichwingers arguments and obfuscations, Kat. I thought better of you than that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

Sorry, seems the inference needed clarity. ;)

Psychoblues
09-15-2008, 09:05 AM
You know you're a Champion in my book, Kat!!!!!!!!!


Sorry, seems the inference needed clarity. ;)

And I was really kidding you about that bet I propositioned earlier!!!!!!!!!! I admire what you do and as far as I can tell how you do it, Kat!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy Moly, am I getting ready for a nap!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

Yurt
09-15-2008, 01:39 PM
Thank God their pilots can't hold water to ours. :)

Iran has F16s, too, IIRC. We've been arming lots of people throughout history. As it suits us - with little strategic planning, or bad planning, or just 'do'h' planning when things didn't work out.

I remember one story where a Weapons manufacturer was actually KIDNAPPED by terrorists. He was nearly killed - thankfully they placed a magnet aroud his heart to keep the shell fragments from killing him. Anywho, he was forced to build weapons for them. Thank God he actually built a wearable weapon system which he used to free himself.

:lol:

AFbombloader
09-15-2008, 07:07 PM
Thank God their pilots can't hold water to ours. :)

Iran has F16s, too, IIRC. We've been arming lots of people throughout history. As it suits us - with little strategic planning, or bad planning, or just 'do'h' planning when things didn't work out.

I remember one story where a Weapons manufacturer was actually KIDNAPPED by terrorists. He was nearly killed - thankfully they placed a magnet aroud his heart to keep the shell fragments from killing him. Anywho, he was forced to build weapons for them. Thank God he actually built a wearable weapon system which he used to free himself.

The Iranian F-16's are not a threat to the US Airmen and Sailors that would be flying in the area. They are very old and outdated. We have infinantly better trained pilots and infinantly better hardware.

http://www.f-16.net/news_article1816.html
The F-16s in question were acquired in 1983 and 1984, and are technically the F-16A/B Block 15 (F-16s currently in service with the US Air Force are F-16C/D Block 50s, with the F-16E/F Block 60 being built for the UAE). The planes in question are twenty years old – and for the F-16, that is very old indeed. These aircraft are not equipped with the latest radars, air-to-air missiles, or jammers. And, in the eight years since Chavez took power, they have not been getting much in the way of logistics thanks to the freeze in relations (upsetting the country which makes the spare parts for your combat aircraft is not a good idea).

AF:salute:

Psychoblues
09-16-2008, 01:06 PM
At least 6 of the Iranian F-16's were Iraqi refugee aircraft from Persian Gulf I, afbl. We never knew exactly how many made it out!!!!!!!!! The Pakistani F-16's, however, are a different breed altogether!!!!!!!!!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

AFbombloader
09-16-2008, 04:53 PM
At least 6 of the Iranian F-16's were Iraqi refugee aircraft from Persian Gulf I, afbl. We never knew exactly how many made it out!!!!!!!!! The Pakistani F-16's, however, are a different breed altogether!!!!!!!!!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

I don't believe we ever sold the Iraqi Air Force any F-16's, but i haven't researched it so I could be wrong. Tha Paki F-16 are newer, but they are still far below what we fly here at Kunsan. We never sell the acft with the best avionics and defensive countermeasure systems to foreign countries. And our pilots are much better. Kinda like a professional QB and a high school QB, not in the same league.

emmett
09-16-2008, 05:56 PM
One might also want to give thought to the fact that once they fly it is a very good possibility that there will be no landing strips for them to return to. Let me remind you once again......



(Ohio class SSBN cruising in Indian Ocean, anyday 0330)

"Captain....here's your coffee sir."
"Oh......thank you XO!"
"You have your key?"
"Yes sir."
"Pass that sugar..."
"Here we are sir."
"Ah thanks. Ok the codes......all right, I'm in!"
"Very good sir........awaiting your order."
"I wish we could get those wooden stirrers, I hate these cheap plastic ones"
"Yeah me too sir"
"Ok.....3...2...1...Fire!"

8 seconds later


"Confirmed launch Captain!"
"Very good XO, we got any cream?"
"Aye sir.....right here"
"Oh great...hey...you want to play a game of chess?"

Psychoblues
09-16-2008, 06:07 PM
It appears that you are correct, afbl. I had never thought about the Iranian claimed Iraqi aircraft from PG I and after you said what you said I did just a little researching. The Iraqi's never owned any F-16's or any other American made fighter aircraft at that time it seems.

I was given my apparently false information on or about February 15, 1991 in a daily combat briefing at King Fahd Airport where I was stationed at the time. If I remember correctly, the Lt. Col. doing the briefing was also not certain but was sharing unclassified information that had been given to him in a more classified setting.

It appears that all of the Iraqi fighter and fighter/bomber airframes were of French and Soviet origin at that time. I apologize for having repeated the false information that I had never before now bothered to research.

Good luck at Kunsan and in your retirement, afbl!!!!!!!! I have been to every single military installation in South Korea that was there in 1970, 1971 and 1972. My main station then was at Suwon but I got around to about everywhere at the time!!!!!!!!!! Have you been down to Chejudo (Pusan)? It is GORGEOUS down there!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you have made good use of your time and gotten around to see a lot as well!!!!!!!!!! And I hope the Korean people have been as good to you as they were to me!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kimchee stinks, don't it?!?!?!?!?!???! But I LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

314th Transportation, "We Bust Our Nuts"

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

AFbombloader
09-16-2008, 06:54 PM
It appears that you are correct, afbl. I had never thought about the Iranian claimed Iraqi aircraft from PG I and after you said what you said I did just a little researching. The Iraqi's never owned any F-16's or any other American made fighter aircraft at that time it seems.

I was given my apparently false information on or about February 15, 1991 in a daily combat briefing at King Fahd Airport where I was stationed at the time. If I remember correctly, the Lt. Col. doing the briefing was also not certain but was sharing unclassified information that had been given to him in a more classified setting.

It appears that all of the Iraqi fighter and fighter/bomber airframes were of French and Soviet origin at that time. I apologize for having repeated the false information that I had never before now bothered to research.

Good luck at Kunsan and in your retirement, afbl!!!!!!!! I have been to every single military installation in South Korea that was there in 1970, 1971 and 1972. My main station then was at Suwon but I got around to about everywhere at the time!!!!!!!!!! Have you been down to Chejudo (Pusan)? It is GORGEOUS down there!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you have made good use of your time and gotten around to see a lot as well!!!!!!!!!! And I hope the Korean people have been as good to you as they were to me!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kimchee stinks, don't it?!?!?!?!?!???! But I LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

314th Transportation, "We Bust Our Nuts"

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

Thanks alot. I have tried to get out and about here. I am trying to be as respoonsible as I can with the finances so I haven't made too many trips. I want to be able to have a little fall back money if the job search drags on too long. I haven't been to Pusan, but I hear it is nice. If you get away from the base the paople are very nice, the ones near here have to deal with too many partying airmen, if you know what I mean. The only Kimchee I have developed a taste for is the cucumber, I will miss that! I do love Bul Giogi, especially the pork!

AF:salute:

Psychoblues
09-17-2008, 01:55 AM
When I was there the Army bus would take you about anywhere you wanted to go for free, afbl!!!!!!!!!!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

AFbombloader
09-17-2008, 02:08 AM
When I was there the Army bus would take you about anywhere you wanted to go for free, afbl!!!!!!!!!!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

Not anymore! It costs $25 to go from here to Osan and back. It is pretty affordable if you take the tours throught the base. Travelling by train is popular among my guys too. They are all single and on the prowl, so they are takiing it to "meet people".

Psychoblues
09-17-2008, 02:14 AM
That was then, this is now. What's $25 to a bigtime American Bombloader anyway?!?!??!??!?!?!??!??!?!??

JK, afbl, but you get my gist, don't you?

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

AFbombloader
09-17-2008, 04:51 PM
That was then, this is now. What's $25 to a bigtime American Bombloader anyway?!?!??!??!?!?!??!??!?!??

JK, afbl, but you get my gist, don't you?

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

sure I do. I'm actually going to Osan this weekend. Gotta do some shopping before I get outta here. My wife wants another purse and some guy named Nukeman wants me to check on a jacket for him. I will take the morning bus and come back on the midnight bus, makes for a long day but it is worth it.

AF:salute:

Psychoblues
09-19-2008, 02:58 AM
Holy DooDoo, afbl!!!!!!!



sure I do. I'm actually going to Osan this weekend. Gotta do some shopping before I get outta here. My wife wants another purse and some guy named Nukeman wants me to check on a jacket for him. I will take the morning bus and come back on the midnight bus, makes for a long day but it is worth it.

AF:salute:

When I was over there it took a day to drive from Kunsan to Osan!!!!!!!!! In fact, me and my bunch went to Seoul and flew out of there to make our gigs in Kunsan and KwangJu!!!!!!!!!!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

AFbombloader
09-19-2008, 08:38 AM
Holy DooDoo, afbl!!!!!!!




When I was over there it took a day to drive from Kunsan to Osan!!!!!!!!! In fact, me and my bunch went to Seoul and flew out of there to make our gigs in Kunsan and KwangJu!!!!!!!!!!

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute:

I thought a three hour trip was bad! The train can get you there in two but it is more expansive when you add in the taxi rides.

Sitarro
09-19-2008, 10:11 AM
The Iranian F-16's are not a threat to the US Airmen and Sailors that would be flying in the area. They are very old and outdated. We have infinantly better trained pilots and infinantly better hardware.

http://www.f-16.net/news_article1816.html
The F-16s in question were acquired in 1983 and 1984, and are technically the F-16A/B Block 15 (F-16s currently in service with the US Air Force are F-16C/D Block 50s, with the F-16E/F Block 60 being built for the UAE). The planes in question are twenty years old – and for the F-16, that is very old indeed. These aircraft are not equipped with the latest radars, air-to-air missiles, or jammers. And, in the eight years since Chavez took power, they have not been getting much in the way of logistics thanks to the freeze in relations (upsetting the country which makes the spare parts for your combat aircraft is not a good idea).

AF:salute:

No shit AF, The Pentagon knows better than to sell the latest versions of the aircraft we use. Knowing exactly how the aircraft perform and their capabilities is a distinct advantage........ I would imagine it would be like shooting fish in a barrel for first string pilots in more advanced F-16s or F-15s. Now if they bring out the F-22s, our guys mothers could kick their ass in those.:laugh2::laugh2:

Psychoblues
09-21-2008, 02:38 AM
Bullshit, zero.



No shit AF, The Pentagon knows better than to sell the latest versions of the aircraft we use. Knowing exactly how the aircraft perform and their capabilities is a distinct advantage........ I would imagine it would be like shooting fish in a barrel for first string pilots in more advanced F-16s or F-15s. Now if they bring out the F-22s, our guys mothers could kick their ass in those.:laugh2::laugh2:

Israeli F-16's consistently out perform our airframes and our pilots. Is it training, design or desire that troubles you? And the F-22? Other than a complete reichwing billionaire wet dream just what good is it?

:salute::cheers2::clap::laugh2::cheers2::salute: