The US Has Been Monitoring Pakistan’s F-16 Fleet Since 2019

This monitoring is not new. The TST has been embedded since 2019, when the U.S. approved its ongoing deployment alongside a $125 million support package for the PAF F-16 fleet.

The U.S. has been closely monitoring Pakistan's use of the F-16 aircraft since at least 2019, with the monitoring reportedly tied to Pakistan's access to critical sustainment programs for the aircraft.

For instance, in 2022, the U.S. approved a separate $450 million deal for F-16 sustainment, covering various essential tasks such as structural integrity checks, engine maintenance, and software updates.

Pakistan's defence ties with the U.S. have cooled since the mid-2010s. In 2016, Pakistan sought to acquire 8 additional F-16C/D Block-52s under the U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program.

However, Congress blocked the subsidy, leading Islamabad to either pay the full price or abandon the deal. Pakistan ultimately chose the latter, putting on hold plans to expand its Fighting Falcon fleet. In subsequent years, the U.S. also blocked the use of military assistance to finance the Pakistan Army's (PA) purchase of 12 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, among potentially other equipment.