WASHINGTON, Feb 10: The United States may sell F-16 aircraft to both India and Pakistan to avoid creating a strategic imbalance in the subcontinent, diplomatic observers told Dawn.

Indian air force chief S. K. Tyagi said at the Aero India industry show in Bangalore earlier this week that New Delhi was seeking to buy 125 fighter jets from the US and had already approached Lockheed Martin Corp., which makes the aircraft.

Diplomatic observers in Washington say New Delhi's interest in buying the F-16s provides the US with a good opportunity to satisfy both India and Pakistan.

"So far the Bush administration has been reluctant to sell the aircraft to Pakistan, also because it did not want to spoil its rapidly developing friendship with India," said a senior diplomatic observer. "But the US would not want to sell the F-16s to India and ignore Pakistan either as it wants to maintain good relations with both."

India's decision to seek F-16s has surprised defence experts across the world. A posting on the forum F-16.net, observes: "Consideration of Lockheed Martin would have been unthinkable just four years ago, when the US maintained military sanctions against New Delhi following India's May 1998 nuclear tests. But sanctions were phased out starting in late 2001, and bilateral ties have since flourished."

The site, which monitors activities related to the F-16 aircraft, also reports that there is no determined timeframe for the acquisitions but India wants them as soon as possible.

Lockheed Martin executives have already made an initial sale pitch in which India must cobble together $25 million apiece, amounting to a hefty $3 billion over five years. The jets will also need to be in synch with the other cutting-edge Indian fighters - the Sukhois, Mirages, Jaguars and MiGs, besides the nascent Light Combat Aircraft Tejas.

F-16s also form part of Pakistan's key military arsenal. The US supplied 40 of them from 1983 to 1987, when Pakistan supported the US in its efforts to drive the Soviets out of Afghanistan. But in 1990, the US Congress passed legislation halting the delivery of the jets following a dispute over Islamabad's nuclear programme.

Since Sept 11, 2001, Pakistan has re-emerged as a key US ally in the war on terrorism, but further supplies of about 70 fighter jets are still held up by US sanctions because of congressional laws that Pakistan must not be nuclear to avail of US aid.

The jets are seen as the key to Pakistan balancing its military strength with India. It is believed that 32 of the fighters supplied initially to Pakistan are still in service.

In the past few months there have been concerted efforts by India to ensure that Pakistan does not get the jets. Late last year, Washington pledged a $1.2 billion arms package to Islamabad, though there was no categorical mention of the F-16 jets.

The Bush administration notified Congress of its intention to sell sophisticated weapons to Pakistan, including eight P-3C Orion planes to beef up surveillance of its coasts and borders.

In December, India claimed that it thwarted Pakistan's efforts to buy F-16 from Belgium.