Why US supplying F-16s to Pakistan is not the real threat to IAF
Like Pavlov's dog (and this no compliment) the moment the US supplies F-16s to Pakistan, Indians become pitifully pathetic puddles of whines. In the days before India and US were allies, this whining was quite aggressive, and led inevitably to soothing pats and hugs from the USSR, which then consoled us with multiple times the weaponry Pakistan was receiving from the US.
The F-16 panic has been going on for 40 years. Before that it was the F-104 panic. In response to US supply of 20 or so F-104s to Pakistan, India went on to buy 250 MiG-21s. But even the 12-1 margin failed to make us confident.
Without going into the boring details, altogether the US has delivered 83 F-16s to Pakistan, 58 new and the rest used. Pakistan has bought and continues to look for second-hand F-16s. This is like India buying used Su-27s from a Third World air force, something we would never stoop to. The current provocation is a fresh deal for eight F-16s. By the time these are delivered, India will have acquired 272 Su-30 heavy fighters. These are considerably more lethal than the F-16 for attack missions.
But in the same time frame, India also purchased 98 MiG-29s, all upgraded/grading to the UPG standard, as well as 59 Mirage 2000, also being upgraded. This makes 429 new fighters to Pakistan's 64 new F-16s. We don't count the 160 Jaguars on India's side and 50 JF-17s on Pakistan's for various reasons. We also don't count PAF's used F-16s because even after modernisation, these remain the same airframe and engine. So does a 7-1 advantage in new fighters make us confident? Apparently not even a little bit. And let's not forget we rejected the US bid to supply us F-16s because we said we didn't want an old aircraft. So how come this old aircraft now becomes a threat in Pakistan's hands?
India should remember one thing. Right from 1948 to the present day, the US has always attached the greatest importance to India. It is only when we rejected the US that Washington went to Pakistan. Now, whatever the reasons for our rejection, we must realise that the US had no choice but to befriend Pakistan, given the existential threat it faced from the Soviet Union. The US had to seek every advantage it could get, wherever it could get. We should now, at least, "forgive" the US for going to Pakistan. We should also understand that, firstly, we rejected the US. Secondly, the US kept Pakistan on a very short leash so that the latter could not threaten us and finally the US tried several times to get us to reconsider. India cannot, in all logic, tell the US "We won't sleep with you, and we will mock and hate you in every world forum, but we will never allow you to sleep with Pakistan. Meanwhile we'll take all the civilian aid you give, and continue to abuse you".
India outdoes Pakistan 8-1 in GDP, 10-1 in population, 4-1 in area, 15-1 in forex reserves, 7-1 in true defence expenditure (official is 10-1). So what reason do we have to fear Pakistan, let alone eight US fighter jets? None.
We have historical reasons to fear invasions from the West, and it may be accepted that Muslim invaders may have committed the greatest genocide in history, particularly when taken against world population at the time. But that was then. What about now?
Why are we still so insecure? And how come the massive military help China is giving to Pakistan has failed to raise an eyebrow in India? Is there something magically invincible about American weapons, so that one US fighter counts for ten of ours? What message are we sending to the world and to our own people?
It is past time to simply dismiss Pakistan and to understand that even a little damage we bring upon ourselves is entirely our fault. We are simply too frightened to punish Pakistan for its transgressions against us. Any surprise that Pakistan keeps poking and poking and poking?
Just last week we lost five army/paramilitary soldiers in a terror attack by three-four Pakistanis. Instead of doing anything about it, we have been weeping fat tears about our "martyrs". They are not martyrs, but men who did their stern duty for India. A martyr is one who passively surrenders her/his life for her/his cause. Our men fought. They are not victims. A country which out of fear won't stand for itself does not deserve such men.
It's Simple logic that if we regard ourselves us effete, helpless victims of circumstance, buffeted like a leaf on a raging torrent, if we have no respect for ourselves, nor will anyone else.
I say to the young people of India: we, your elders have failed in our duty to make India great by focusing on our imaginary victimhood. Now it is time for you to push your elders aside and do your duty. That means you have to prove to the world that not just that India has a glorious past, but that you will lead India to a glorious future.