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By Ariz Riaz :
The United States Air Force has awarded a $488 million contract to Northrop Grumman to provide long-term engineering and technical support for F-16 radar systems, with Pakistan among more than 20 partner nations set to benefit.
The contract, issued by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center on a sole-source basis, will focus on sustaining and upgrading the APG-66 and APG-68 radar systems used in the F-16 Fighting Falcon fleet. Work will be carried out in Maryland and is expected to continue through March 2036.
The programme is being executed under the Foreign Military Sales program, which facilitates defence cooperation with allied nations. Alongside Pakistan, countries across Europe, the Middle East and Asia — including Egypt, Jordan, Greece and Türkiye — are part of the agreement.
Officials said an initial $2.64 million has already been allocated from fiscal year 2026 funds to begin work on the project.
This latest development builds on a separate upgrade package proposed in December 2025 by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, valued at $686 million and led by Lockheed Martin. That earlier plan aimed to modernise Pakistan’s F-16 fleet with advanced systems such as Link-16 data networks, upgraded avionics, secure communications and training simulators, with the goal of extending the aircraft’s operational life to 2040.
Pakistani officials have welcomed the continued US support, viewing it as critical for maintaining operational readiness and interoperability with allied systems. While the Pakistan Air Force has diversified its fleet in recent years, the F-16 remains a central component of its combat capabilities.
The agreement underscores ongoing defence cooperation between Washington and its partners, particularly in areas such as counterterrorism and regional security coordination.
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