Won't fund F-16s for us? Will get them from elsewhere, Pak tells US

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Tuesday it will acquire F-16 fighter jets from elsewhere if the US doesn't arrange funding for the sale. The statement was made by Sartaj Aziz, the prime minister's adviser on foreign affairs, after the US confirmed on Monday that it can't subsidize the purchase. The US stand practically kills the deal as Pakistan may find it difficult to buy the planes at a price that is two-and-half times more than previously agreed. Aziz said Pakistan valued the F-16s for their effectiveness, but added that it could just as well use JF-17 Thunder jets in its "anti-terrorism campaign", the Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported. The JF-17 Thunder fighter jet has been jointly developed by China's Aviation Industry Corporation of China and its Pakistani partner, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex. The JF-17 is reportedly going to become the backbone of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). The JF-17 can reportedly be used for aerial reconnaissance, ground attack and aircraft interception. It can deploy diverse ordnance, including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, and a 23 mm GSh-23-2 twin-barrel autocannon, reports say.