Bad News for Pakistan as US not giving it deadly…, Asim Munir in tension due to…

Washington: What comes as bad news for Pakistan amid tensions with India is that the United States has announced that it is not giving the AIM-120 missile to the Asian country. The US Department of Defense, in a statement, said that Islamabad will not be receiving new and upgraded AIM-120 missiles and the US will maintain the AIM-120 missiles it already possesses. The clarification comes after the US Defense Ministry released a standard contract list on September 30, which included Pakistan’s name.

Why US Department Of War Issued Clarification On AIM-120 Missiles?

The confusion started following the release of the list on September 30. Media reports claimed that the Islamabad is expected to receive new AIM-120 missiles. Amid all the speculation, the US Department of War released a clarification, informing that contract only relates to maintenance and spare parts of the already possessed missiles and Pak will not receive any new missiles and technological upgrades.

Why Did US Embassy Issue statement?

Yesterday, the US Embassy which is located in New Delhi issued a statement, saying that the countries mentioned in the contract, including Pakistan, will only get maintenance and repair of existing systems. “This contract amendment does not involve any upgrades to Pakistan’s existing capabilities.” The statement also noted that the countries listed in the contract

“This purchase does not involve any enhancements to Pakistan’s existing capabilities,” the statement further said.

HIGHLIGHTS

US clarified that Pakistan will not receive new or upgraded AIM-120 missiles.

The confusion began after a contract list on Sept 30 included Pakistan’s name.

The US Embassy in New Delhi confirmed no enhancement to Pakistan’s missile capabilities.

The AIM-120 (AMRAAM) is a powerful BVR missile with a range of up to 160 km and speed of Mach 4.

US Rubbished Media Claims

The statement further rubbished all media reports claiming that US is providing fresh AMRAAM missiles to Islamabad. “Nowhere in the contract does the US state that it will be providing new missiles to Pakistan. Nor does it state that the US will be upgrading Pakistan’s existing missiles; rather, it only involves repairs,” the statement read.

The Controversy

The controversy started when the US Department of War issued a revised contract to Raytheon Company which priced USD41.6 million. Under the contract production and support of C8 and D3 versions of the AIM-120 missiles were provided. Pakistan was in the list of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS). This forced media to think that Washington was planning to supply Pak with new missiles.

How Dangerous Is The AIM-120 Missile?

  • AMRAAM stands for Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile and it is better known as US’s AIM-120.
  • It is recognised as the world’s most advanced Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile.
  • The missile utilises ‘fire and forget’ technology.
  • Its active radar seeker, make the missile capable of striking targets from distances of up to 160 km.
  • The missile can reach speeds of up to Mach 4.

 

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