Defense Minister Rajnath Singh raised concerns about the $686 million package to US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at an ASEAN meeting
India has raised objections to a $686 million US package to upgrade Pakistan’s F-16 fighter jets and extend their service life, Indian media have reported.
Washington has gone ahead with the upgrade even as India and the US continue to deepen defense cooperation under a ten-year partnership framework signed last year. India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed, clashed briefly last year with drones and missiles following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 civilians.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, in his talks with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, also raised the possibility of sensitive American military technology supplied to Pakistan reaching third countries, the Economic Times reported, citing officials familiar with the discussions. The two officials met on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Cebu, Philippines.
The proposed package, notified to the US Congress in December, is intended to modernize Pakistan’s aging F-16 fleet and extend their operational life through 2040.
It includes 92 Link-16 tactical communication systems, avionics upgrades, secure communications, navigation equipment, spare parts, and training, according to a US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notification published last month. The package does not involve the sale of new fighter jets, and the US agency said it would not alter the basic military balance in the region.
📹 ‘Our Strategies Are Battle-Tested’: Rajnath Singh Cites Operation Sindoor At ADMM Defence Meet 💪💥
🇮🇳 DefMin cited the operation as proof of New Delhi’s counter-terrorism methods being battle-tested.
He also offered to share that experience with ASEAN partners through joint drills and intelligence sharing.
Washington has maintained that the upgrades would support cooperation with Pakistan in counterterrorism operations, improve coordination between the two countries’ air forces, and address aircraft safety concerns.
India has previously objected to American support for Pakistan’s F-16 fleet, including in 2022 when Washington approved a $450 million maintenance package. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar also questioned Washington’s justification that the aircraft were needed for counterterrorism operations.
During Wednesday’s meeting, the two sides reviewed progress on military coordination, technology sharing, and defense production, according to India’s Defense Ministry. Its public statement did not mention the F-16 objection.
Singh called for a zero-tolerance approach toward nations supporting, training, or financing terrorist organizations, and Hegseth reaffirmed Washington’s support for India in combating cross-border terrorism.
Both ministers agreed to strengthen military exchanges, maritime security cooperation, and defense supply chains, with Singh describing the India-US partnership as a cornerstone of a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.
