Washington: The United States plans to sell Pakistan a new billion dollar arms package, including E-2C Hawkeye 2000 Airborne Early Warning Suite for P-3s and TOW-2A Anti-Armour Guided Missiles.
 

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) informed Congress of these proposed sales at Pakistan's request Dec 7 in two separate notifications, claiming these will not affect the basic military balance in the region.

 
The proposed sales "will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been and continues to be an important force for economic progress in South Asia and a partner in the global war on terrorism", they said.

 
The total value of proposed refurbishment and modification of three excess P-3 aircraft with the E-2C HAWKEYE 2000 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) Suite, as well as associated equipment and services could, if all options are exercised, be as high as $855 million.

 
The total value of 2,769 Radio Frequency (RF) TOW 2A Missiles, 7 RF TOW 2A Fly-to-buy Missiles, 415 RF Bunker Buster Missiles, 7 RF Fly-to-buy Bunker Buster Missiles, upgrade of 121 TOW Basic/TOW-I launchers to fire TOW II configuration for wire-guided and wireless missiles as well as associated equipment and services could, if all options are exercised, reach $185 million.

 
The command-and-control capabilities of P-3 aircraft with the E-2C HAWKEYE 2000 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) Suite will improve Pakistan's ability to restrict the littoral movement of terrorists along Pakistan's southern border and ensure Pakistan's overall ability to maintain integrity of its borders.

Pakistan intends to use the proposed equipment to develop an effective air defence network for its naval forces and provide an AEW surveillance and enhanced command, control, and communications capability, the Pentagon said.

 
The addition of the AEW suites will provide Pakistan with search surveillance, and control capability in support of maritime interdiction operations. These aircraft will also increase Pakistan's ability to support the US Operation Enduring Freedom operations, and provide anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare capabilities; and a control capability over land against transnational terrorists and narcotics smugglers, the notification said.

The modernisation will enhance the capabilities of the Pakistani Navy and support its regional influence and meet its legitimate self-defence needs. Pakistan will have no difficulty absorbing the AEW platform into its armed forces, it said.

 
TOW-2A missiles, the notification said, "will contribute to furthering the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping a friendly country provide for its own legitimate self-defence needs and to enable Pakistan to support US operations against terrorist activity along its porous borders".

 
In addition, these missiles have most recently been employed in several global war on terrorism operations in the tribal areas of Pakistan and have allowed, when coupled with Cobra attack helicopters, the government of Pakistan to employ new tactics, techniques and procedures that have proven highly effective against terrorists.

 
Pakistan will augment its land forces with these TOW-2A anti-armour guided missiles. It will use these missiles to increase its military defensive posture and will have no difficulty absorbing these additional missiles into its armed forces.

 
"Pakistan's existing inventory of TOW missiles will soon begin to be affected by its specified shelf life. While TOW missiles can be employed beyond their shelf life, system reliability and safety are eroded. Pakistan continues to expend TOW missiles in both training exercises and combat operations," the Pentagon said.