01-08-2014, 04:19 AM
Quote:Peace Gate I
In December 1981, the government of Pakistan signed a letter of agreement for the purchase of up to 40 F-16A/B (28 F-16A and 12 F-16B) fighters for the Pakistan Fiza'ya (Pakistan Air Force, or PAF). The deal would be split into two batches, one of 6 aircraft and the other of 34. The first aircraft were accepted at Fort Worth in October of 1982, and the first F-16, flown by Squadron Leader Shahid Javed, landed in Pakistan at Sargodha Air Base on January 15th, 1983 as part of a package of 6 'Peace Gate I' aircraft (2 A's and 4 B's).
From what I recall, they developed the munition and delivery system on their early Block 15 F-16A/B's, although the actual capability to arm it with a nuclear warhead remains dubious.
A lot of the F-16A/B's that were meant for Pakistan that got embargoed became aggressors for the USAF and USN. I remember reading about it in Aviation Leak and Spy Technology. F-16.net seems to have an in-depth account of the decades-long drama with PAF F-16's. http://www.f-16.net/f-16_users_article14.html
They also rigged them with the ATLIS targeting pod. Reading the article further, I see that PAF F-16's saw combat between Soviet and Afghan Air Force aircraft during the Soviet Afghan War, to include some Su-22 and MiG-23 action.