Amid tensions between two nuclear-armed countries, India and Pakistan, India's defence forces are making their case against Pakistan stating that an F-16 fighter jet used by them was intended for retaliation after IAF airstrike in Balakot.

"There is enough evidence to show that F-16s were used in Pakistan's mission and they are trying to hide this fact." Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor, assistant chief of Air Staff, had said on Thursday.

However, the Pakistan defence forces have strongly denied using the F-16 fighter jet on Wednesday. If at all, Pakistan used this stated fighter jet, it is a violation of the agreement between US and Pakistan.

Lockheed Martin's F-16 fighter jets, capable of arming nuclear weapons, are manufactured and supplied by the US. The US, however, holds a strict norm that the F-16 fighter jets can only be used for eliminating terrorist operations and not in retaliation, war or in spite.

One fighter jet can accommodate six 2,000 pound bombs, six short-range air missile and a multi-barrel air cannon with 500 rounds. The weapons can be nuclear-armed, and because of its intensity of damage, the US government follows this protocol when countries place the request of acquiring these jets, they must develop their air defence forces.

The Obama administration had agreed to give these fighter jets to Pakistan so that the country can eliminate all the terrorists.

“We strongly support the proposed sale of eight F-16s to Pakistan. This platform will support Pakistan’s counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency operations, and has contributed to the success of these operations to date,” a US Defence official had told PTI in February 2016, at the time when Pakistan was looking to acquire eight F-16s.

The deal was later upgraded to Pakistan acquiring five hundred medium-range air missiles, AIM-120C-5 AMRAAMs, among other weapons from the US defence industry. These air missiles can only be carried in F-16 fighter jets. India claimed that the air missile was found by them when they reverted the Pakistan fighter jet on Wednesday.

"Parts of AMRAAM Air to Air Missile which is carried only on the F-16s in PAF were recovered East of Rajauri within the Indian territory," Kapoor said in the briefing on Thursday.

The Indian Air Force, since 2008, has been voicing its concern to the government on the line that the purchase of F-16s will improve the ability of Pakistan to engage its fighters and could be misused. The concern was raised by the Indian government in 2016, when the Pakistan-US deal was being finalised.

We are disappointed at the decision of the Obama Administration to notify the sale of F-16 aircrafts to Pakistan pic.twitter.com/NGdrAL2m9i

— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) February 13, 2016

First Published:Mar 1, 2019 1:00 PM IST