• Lockheed Martin picked as main contractor; $686m deal aims to extend fleet service life until 2040
• US Congress was earlier notified of the proposed sale, didn’t raise any objections

WASHINGTON: A US military upgrade package for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter fleet, worth $686 million, has been cleared through a statutory congressional notification process.

Lockheed Martin, the US aerospace and defence company that manufactures the F-16 fighter aircraft, and has long been responsible for its design, upgrades, and sustainment programmes for international operators, has been named the principal contractor for the proposed sale.

The sale was processed under existing authorities provided by the Arms Export Control Act and annual appropriations laws.

These provisions allow the executive branch to obligate and disburse funds once Congress has been formally notified and does not object within the required time period.

The Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) approved Pakistan’s request for a $686 million Foreign Military Sale (FMS) covering F-16 hardware, software upgrades and sustainment support, and formally notified the US Congress of this decision.

Under US law, this approval does not mean the sale bypassed congressional oversight. Once the DSCA issues its notification, Congress is provided a mandatory 30-day review period during which lawmakers may object or introduce a resolution to block the transaction.

If no objection is raised within this timeframe — which is the norm — the sale is considered to have received congressional approval. A separate vote is required only if Congress chooses to intervene.

This process is built into the legal framework governing US arms transfers. The DSCA is authorised to manage such transactions through mechanisms like Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF).

These programmes typically rely on the purchasing country’s own funds, or on US loans or grants that have already been approved at the executive level by the President and the State Department — as is the case with Pakistan’s F-16 package.

Upgrade package

Published on the congressional website last week, the notification states that the proposed sale is intended to extend the service life of Pakistan’s Block-52 and midlife-upgrade F-16 aircraft through 2040, while preserving interoperability with the US and partner forces.

Major defence equipment accounts for $37m of the total value, with the remaining $649m covering sustainment, refurbishment, and modernisation services.

The package includes 92 Link-16 tactical data-link systems and six inert Mk-82 500-pound bomb bodies for integration and testing.

Other elements cover avionics upgrades, secure communications and navigation equipment, cryptographic devices, mission-planning tools, as well as software and hardware modifications.

Training systems, munitions testing and reprogramming equipment, and associated spare parts are also included.

Sensitive components include Mode-5 identification friend-or-foe systems, handheld key loaders, and reprogramming equipment for munitions built-in-test functions. Some items are classified as secret.

Pakistan first submitted its request for F-16 upgrades in 2021-22. While the DSCA consistently supported the proposal, the Biden administration chose not to act at the time, even though the notification mechanism was available. A notification was issued in December 2024, but no further action followed.

A fresh notification was sent to Congress in December 2025 under the Trump administration. Once the statutory notification window closed with no objection raised, the proposed sale was approved in accordance with US law.

US rationale

In its official statement, the DSCA said the sale would support US foreign policy and national security objectives by enabling Pakistan to retain interoperability with Washington and partner forces.

“It will strengthen cooperation in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and help prepare for future contingency operations,” the agency said.

The statement added that refurbishing and upgrading Pakistan’s F-16 fleet would address critical flight-safety concerns and improve integration and interoperability between the Pakistan Air Force and the US Air Force during combat operations, exercises, and training.

The DSCA said Pakistan was expected to absorb the articles and services without difficulty and stressed that the proposed sale “will not alter the basic military balance in the region”.

Implementation of the sale will not require additional US government or contractor personnel in Pakistan and will have no adverse impact on American defence readiness.

The US government said it was not aware of any offset agreement linked to the proposed sale; any such arrangement would be determined through negotiations between Pakistan and the contractor.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2025