The United States (US) has approved the “release and export” of a $686 million support package to upgrade Pakistan’s F-16 fighter aircraft, according to letters sent by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) to Congress.

The DSCA notification, issued under Section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act, states that Congress must be informed in advance of certain proposed arms sales. The agency said the package is intended “to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts.”

The DSCA said the sale supports US foreign policy and national security objectives. It added that the upgrades would help Pakistan “meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its fleet.”

The package includes major defense equipment valued at $37 million, notably 92 Link-16 systems and six Mk-82 inert 500-lb general-purpose bomb bodies, along with $649 million worth of non-major defense items.

The updates are expected to “provide more seamless integration and interoperability between the Pakistan Air Force and the US Air Force in combat operations, exercises, and training,” the DSCA wrote.

It further noted that the refurbishment would extend the aircrafts’ service life “through 2040 while addressing critical flight safety concerns.”

The letters state that Pakistan has demonstrated its commitment to maintaining its military forces and “will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.”

A final determination concluded that Pakistan can provide “substantially the same degree of protection for the sensitive technology” as the United States.

At least 30 people were killed, including patients, after an airstrike by the country’s ruling junta hit a major hospital in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, according to a rebel group, an aid worker and a witness said on Thursday.

More than 70 people were injured, they said.

The hospital in Rakhine’s Mrauk U township was struck late on Wednesday by bombs dropped by a military aircraft, said Khine Thu Kha, a spokesman for the Arakan Army, which is battling the ruling junta along parts of the coastal state.

“The Mrauk U General Hospital was completely destroyed,” Khine Thu Kha told Reuters. “The high number of casualties occurred because the hospital took a direct hit.”

A junta spokesman did not respond to calls for comment.

Myanmar has been gripped by conflict since the military suppressed protests against a 2021 coup that unseated the elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The 300-bed hospital was overflowing with patients at the time of the strike, said aid worker Wai Hun Aung, as most healthcare services across swathes of Rakhine state have been suspended amid the ongoing fighting.

Hospital in ruins

On Thursday morning, the facility lay in complete ruins, with a collapsed roof, shattered columns and beams, and the bodies of victims laid out on the ground, according to images shared by Wai Hun Aung that he also posted on social media.

Reuters could not immediately verify the images.

“The remaining patients have been moved to a safe location,” he told Reuters.

Soon after he heard the sound of explosions on Wednesday night, a 23-year-old resident of Mrauk U said he rushed to the site.

“When I arrived, the hospital was on fire,” he said, asking not to be named because of security concerns. “I saw many bodies lying around and many injured people.”

The junta, which has the only air force in Myanmar, has been increasingly using airstrikes to hit targets inside rebel-held areas.

From January to late November this year, the junta conducted 2,165 airstrikes, compared to 1,716 such incidents during the whole of 2024, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

Resistance groups formed in the wake of the coup have combined with major ethnic armies like the Arakan Army to take on the military, which is fighting the rebellion on multiple frontlines.

Since the breakdown of a ceasefire in 2023, the Arakan Army has pushed the military out of 14 of Rakhine’s 17 townships, gaining control of an area larger than Belgium, according to an analysis published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

Mrauk-U township, located in the north of Rakhine state, has been under the control of the Arakan Army since last year and there has been no recent fighting in the area, Khine Thu Kha said.

• Enhancements will improve collaboration between two air forces.
• DSCA letter says sale will not alter military balance in region.
• Lockheed Martin named principal contractor for F-16 support.
  

The United States has approved the sale of advanced technology and support services worth $686 million for Pakistan’s F-16 fighter aircraft fleet, according to a letter from the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) to Congress dated December 8.

The package covers Link-16 data link systems, cryptographic gear, avionics upgrades, training, and wide-ranging logistical support. The DSCA says the decision aligns with Washington’s broader strategic aims, stating the sale “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by allowing Pakistan to retain interoperability with US and partner forces in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and in preparation for future contingency operations.”

The letter notes that the upgrades are intended to modernise Pakistan’s Block-52 and Mid-Life Upgrade F-16s and address operational safety requirements. According to the letter, the sale will “maintain Pakistan’s capability to meet current and future threats by updating and refurbishing its Block-52 and Mid Life Upgrade F-16 fleet.”

The DSCA adds that the enhancements will improve collaboration between the two air forces, saying the updated systems will deliver “seamless integration and interoperability between the Pakistan Air Force and the US Air Force in combat operations, exercises, and training,” while the refurbishment will extend the aircraft’s life through 2040 and address critical safety issues.

The document also states that Pakistan is prepared to integrate the systems into its forces, noting the country “has shown a commitment to maintaining its military forces and will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces.”

Addressing regional sensitivities, the DSCA says the sale “will not alter the basic military balance in the region.”

Lockheed Martin, based in Fort Worth, Texas, will act as the principal contractor. The agency confirms the implementation will not require additional US government or contractor personnel in Pakistan and stresses there will be “no adverse impact on US defence readiness as a result of this proposed sale.”

Of the total amount, $37 million covers major defence equipment, while $649 million relates to other items. The MDE component includes 92 Link-16 systems and six inert Mk-82 500-lb bomb bodies, which will be used solely for weapons integration testing.

Link-16 is a secure, real-time communications network for sharing tactical data among US and allied forces. It is resistant to electronic jamming and, the DSCA notes, “provides the warfighter key theatre functions such as surveillance, identification, air control, weapons engagement coordination, and direction for all services and allied forces.”

The remainder of the package includes non-MDE items such as AN/APQ-10C Simple Key Loaders and the AN/APX-126 Advanced Identification Friend or Foe system, which enables identification of hostile and friendly aircraft.