Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE
TAIWAN HAS ruled out purchasing any of Pakistan's embargoed Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs from the US Government, because of a lack of commonality with the F-16s it has already ordered.
The US Government is trying to find a buyer for the 28 completed F-16s now stored at the Davis Monthan AB in Arizona.
The aircraft were among 71 fighters ordered by Pakistan, but of which delivery has been barred by the US Congress's Pressler Amendment.
In an effort to try and reimburse Pakistan for the $658 million spent on the Foreign Military Sale deal, the US Government has offered the F-16s a number of Asian countries, including Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
The F-16s ordered by Pakistan were built to the Block 15 Operational Capabilities Upgrade (OCU) standard. The aircraft differ from the 150 F-16A/B Block 20 enhanced Mid-Life Update (MLU) aircraft, due to be delivered to Taiwan from 1996 onwards.
Major F-16 MLU improvements over the OCU aircraft include improved performance Westinghouse AN/APG-66 fire-control radar, cockpit avionics and under-fuselage hard points for the LANTIRN infra-red imaging and laser-designation pods.
The Philippines is understood to be interested in the aircraft, but is facing severe cash restraints on what it can afford. The Philippine air force wants to buy up to 18 secondhand fighters, but has only budgeted around $7 million an aircraft, far short of the estimated $20 million unit value of the Pakistan aircraft.
To overcome its funding shortage, the Philippines wants to part-finance any new aircraft purchases with barter trade. The final decision on the price of the Pakistan F-16s rests with the US Government.
The Philippines, in the meantime, has continued to look at alternative second fighters. An air force team, is understood to have recently been dispatched, to look at surplus Jordanian Northrop Grumman F-5s and Russian Mikoyan MiG-29s.
Source: Flight International
