WASHINGTON, Sept 6: Pakistan is expected to request an airborne early warning system from the United States when the US-Pakistan defence consultative group meets in Washington on Sept 17, diplomatic sources said on Saturday.

Defence Secretary Lt-Gen (rtd) Hamid Nawaz Khan arrives in Washington on Sept 16 with a 14-member team to attend the meeting.

Besides a plenary meeting, the two sides are also expected to hold a series of sub-group meetings to consider various proposals for enhancing bilateral defence cooperation.

“The talks will cover a wide range of subjects such as defence purchase, joint exercises, training facilities for Pakistani officers and military spares,” the sources said.

Pakistan has decided to acquire an early warning system following a deal between India and Israel that will allow New Delhi to purchase a strategic radar system from Tel Aviv.

India is expected to finalize the deal for the billion-dollar each Phalcon airborne warning system when Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon goes to New Delhi next week.

The United States has already approved the purchase, ignoring Islamabad’s protest that the Phalcons would bring almost the whole of Pakistan under Indian surveillance.

The Defence Consultative Group is also expected to discuss a Pakistani move to buy second-hand F-16 fighter jets from Belgium, the sources said.

Since the aircraft were built in the United States, Belgium needs US clearance for selling them to a third country.

Pakistan has already asked Belgium to sell it 20 F-16 fighters Brussels plans to phase out.