Saturday, March 26 2005 09:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington/New Delhi: The United States has cleared the supply of about two-dozen nuclear-capable F-16 fighter planes to Pakistan and in an apparent balancing exercise paved the way for sale of the same aircraft and offered civilian nuclear energy cooperation with India.

The transfer of the multi-role aircraft to Pakistan was conveyed yesterday evening (Mar 25, 2005) by US President George W Bush over telephone to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who expressed India's disappointment over the move which could have "negative consequences" for India's security environment.

Senior US officials said the proposed delivery of the planes, under an agreement signed in 1980s but frozen in 1990s following Pressler amendment over Pakistan's suspected nuclear weapons programme, was in response to Islamabad's cooperation in the fight against terror in Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the US.

The officials sale of F-16s "will not change the overall balance of military power in the region" and are vital to Pakistan's security as it presses ahead with the war on terror, a senior administration official said.

Pakistan had placed order for 111 F-16 planes between 1983 and 1987 and paid in advance for the deal. After taking delivery of 40 aircraft, Pakistan had been prodding the US to supply the rest of the planes or return the money.

Soon after the announcement about US transfer of F-16 planes to Pakistan, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters in Delhi that the US had conveyed to it the approval to participation of American Defence companies in the bidding for multi-role combat aircraft.

A US team is expected to visit India soon to hold talks on this, he said.

The approval of US Defence companies in bidding for warplanes to be purchased by India clears the way for possible sale of F-16 aircraft. This assumes significance considering the fact that India is contemplating purchase of 125 warplanes.

The matter had figured in talks between US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh in New Delhi last week and the American side had declared that it wanted to be a reliable Defence partner with India.

Sarna said India has also been told that the US Government is considering offering civilian nuclear energy and nuclear safety cooperation to India.

He said the US decision to move forward on nuclear energy cooperation reflects an understanding of India's growing energy requirements.

"We expect further substantive discussion within the ambit of the Indo-US Energy dialogue which is proposed to be set up shortly," Sarna said adding the US offers are part of its intention to upgrade the bilateral Strategic Partnership.

The US has also proposed a joint working group on space cooperation; he said describing it as a "positive development that opens up a new and promising area for high-tech cooperation."

Prior to telephonic conversation Bush had with Manmohan Singh at 19:10 hours (IST), Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke to External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, now in Yangon, about the US decision to supply the F-16 planes to Pakistan.

The External Affairs Minister then spoke to the Prime Minister apprising him of his discussions with Rice, Sarna said.

US officials in Washington took pains to explain the decision to supply the planes to Pakistan saying the suspended deal had been under discussions for a long time whereas "we (the US) are only at the beginning of discussions about the possibility of India getting F-16s."

"The Indians," senior officials said, "want more high performance aircraft than the Pakistanis are looking for. There are, therefore, going to be some discussions between the manufacturers and India," they said.

India has been saying for a while now that it wants a large number of modern high-performance aircraft. So, F-16s are now part of that mix of possible weapons systems," they added.