The United States on Friday rejected reports suggesting that Pakistan would be supplied with new Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) under a recent contract update, stating that the amendment covers only maintenance and spare parts, with no new weapons included.
The US Embassy, in a statement, clarified that the Department of War’s September 30 announcement was merely “an amendment to an existing Foreign Military Sales contract for sustainment and spares for several countries, including Pakistan.”
No Upgrade To Pakistan’s F-16 Capabilities
The embassy stressed that “contrary to false media reports, no part of this referenced contract modification is for deliveries of new AMRAAMs to Pakistan.” They added that the sustainment work “does not include an upgrade to any of Pakistan’s current capabilities.” This means Pakistan’s aging F-16 fleet stays exactly where it is, stuck with 2007-era technology.
The clarification follows media reports, including from Pakistan’s own Dawn newspaper, that misinterpreted the US Department of War’s September 30 contract update as a brand new missile sale to Pakistan. The official release had announced that Raytheon Co., based in Tucson, Arizona, received a USD 41 million modification to an existing AMRAAM production contract, taking the total value to over USD 2.5 billion.
Pakistan’s Inclusion Only For Maintenance Support
According to the original Department of War statement, the contract involves foreign military sales to several countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, Australia, Qatar, Oman, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Kuwait, Turkiye, and Pakistan, and is expected to be completed by May 2030.
While the announcement listed Pakistan among the participating countries, the US Embassy has now definitively confirmed that the inclusion relates strictly to ongoing sustainment support – not to new missile deliveries that would have enhanced Pakistan’s combat capabilities.
Pakistan’s Aging AMRAAM Stock
Pakistan had previously purchased around 700 AMRAAMs back in 2007 for its F-16 fleet – nearly two decades ago – which was at that time the largest international order for the air-to-air missile system. Those same aging missiles are all Pakistan has, and all Pakistan will continue to have.
(With ANI Inputs)