Pakistan to buy advanced US air-to-air missiles

 
US arms manufacturer Raytheon is set to sell advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to Pakistan. The deal was confirmed on Tuesday after the company published an amended contract that added Pakistan to the list of buyers, according to Dawn. These US missiles will be integrated into the Pakistan Air Force's F-16 Falcon fighter jets.

A US Department of Defence media statement dated Sept 30 on contracts for the Air Force said Raytheon had been awarded a $41.6 million firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract for the advanced C8 and D3 AMRAAM missile variants and their production.
It added the modification increased the total contract value from $2.47 billion to $2.51 billion.

Work will be carried out in Tucson, Arizona, with completion expected by May 30, 2030.

The contract includes foreign military sales to the United Kingdom, Poland, Pakistan, Germany, Finland, Australia, Romania, Qatar, Oman, South Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Japan, Slovakia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Norway, Spain, Kuwait, Sweden, Taiwan, Lithuania, Israel, Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkey, it read.
The May 7 contract related to AMRAAM missiles had not included Pakistan among the buyers.

Dawn reported that during the Pakistan Air Force's "Operation Swift Retort" in 2019, when two Indian Air Force jets intruded into Pakistani airspace over Kashmir and were shot down, the US missiles were used.

Pakistan previously purchased 700 AMRAAM in 2007, marking the largest international order for the missile at the time.
The report noted that the announcement comes as Islamabad and Washington appear to be strengthening economic and strategic cooperation.
Observers note that Pakistan has gained visibility in US media coverage during President Donald Trump's tenure, including recognition for counterterrorism operations and South Asian nuclear stability.

Recent developments include US tariff concessions, increased investor interest in Pakistan's oil and mineral sectors, and signals of receptivity to digital assets and cryptocurrencies, indicating Islamabad is increasingly influential in the South Asian strategic landscape, the report said.