June 26, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 21, 1429

WASHINGTON, June 25: The United States has delivered four refurbished F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan.

Diplomatic sources told DawnNews that two more planes would be delivered next month.

The United States had agreed to provide 12 refurbished F-16s to Pakistan as part of a package to replenish the country’s defence capabilities.

Pakistan received two of these earlier this year while four were delivered last month.

Four F-16s left the United States on Tuesday and are expected to reach Pakistan on June 28.

Two more will be delivered next month.

Pakistan is also buying 18 new F-16 jets from the United States.

Initially, Islamabad had agreed to buy 36 of these aircraft at a total cost of $5.1 billion, which included associated weapons, spares and upgrading of a fleet purchased in the 1980s.

But due to financial constraints it later decided to halve its order.

Pakistan, however, will still have to spend $1.3 billion on mid-life update and modification of the F-16A/B aircraft purchased earlier. Engine modifications and purchasing some new equipment for the old fleet will cost Pakistan an additional $151 million.

The sources said the new aircraft would be equipped with weapons and facilities that came with an F-16 Block 50/52 aircraft. The planes would be capable of carrying nuclear and non-nuclear weapons.

The United States will have the right to conduct frequent inspections and inventory checking.