We reported that Pakistan received two F-16s, even though Pakistani officials said they would hold off on a planned purchase of 80 new Vipers to save money for earthquake relief. The two recently delivered fighters were “gratis” from Congress, according to officials at Ogden Air Logistics Center. The ALC says the two F-16s were “excess defense articles” that they reconfigured to have the latest avionics and other upgrades approved for Pakistan. These two latest F-16s are more advanced than the ones currently flown by the Pakistan Air Force.
The U.S. military is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East to step up its war with Iran, adding to what is already the largest buildup of airpower in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For now, the operation shows little sign of coming to a quick…