How many Pakistani F 16 Fighter Jets have been destroyed? How many F-16 Fighter Jest does Pakistan have?
The F-16 fighter jets serve as the backbone of Pakistan’s air force. There have been 10 accidents in Pakistan of F-16 fighter jets from the US so far, of which some pilots managed to survive and some failed.
How many F-16 aircraft were provided to Pakistan by the United States? The Pakistan Air Force or any other agency has not released official figures on the matter. However, there is information that up to 10 F-16 aircraft have been the victims of various accidents so far.
F-16 accidents
The first crash of an F-16 aircraft in Pakistan occurred on December 18, 1986. Both pilots aboard the plane survived the crash near Sargodha.
The second accident occurred on April 29, 1987, when the ship was mistakenly fired. The pilot was also safe in the crash.
The third accident occurred on September 4, 1989, when an F-16 aircraft’s equipment stopped working due to technical reasons. The ship crashed some kilometers before Sargodha and the pilot was killed in the crash.
On June 16, 1991, during training near Kamra, the aircraft engineer Syed Hassan Raza had to be ejected due to a plane engine failure and the ship was destroyed.
On October 27, 1991, another F-16 plane crashed near Attock, in which squadron leader Nadeem Anjum survived. According to reports, the aircraft also had engine failure.
The reason for the engine failure was that the original parts could not be installed on the ship’s engine during routine repairs. This was the time when shipments were suspended due to sanctions on Pakistan.
In November 1993, F-16 B Block 15 crashed due to a plane crash. In the crash, both pilots managed to get out of the plane.
On March 17, 1994, F-16A A-15 aircraft near Sargodha crashed due to technical reasons in which the pilot was killed.
In July 2009, a plane aboard a training mission in the Noorpur area near Sargodha crashed, killing the squadron leader Ghulam Nabi.
Wing Commander Noman Akram has been killed in an accident near Islamabad on March 11, 2020. The cause of the accident is not yet known. The aircraft, however, was engaged in drills for the March 23 parade.
According to a spokesman of Pakistan Air Force, the plane crashed at a place of thanksgiving in Islamabad on Wednesday morning.
The statement issued by the spokesman said that Pakistan Air Force was being rehearsed for the March 23 program during which the F-16 aircraft crashed.
Security forces and rescue teams arrived at the scene of the crash and citizens were prevented from reaching the plane.
According to reports, the aircraft’s pilot wing commander Noman Akram was killed in the crash. He was recently awarded the “Lion Afghan” Award.
Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Ansar has said that the plane did not cause any casualties on the ground.
They said the plane was on fire when crews arrived at the scene of the crash. The crew began to extinguish the fire. The Army and Air Force then reached the scene of the crash and took control of the situation.
An eyewitness to the incident, Mohammad Dilawar, told Voice of America that when the ship was flying, we were watching the scene. When the ship started to come down from above, a fire appeared to be coming out of it.
He said that when he arrived at the scene of the accident, the army did not allow him to go ahead and said the plane had fallen.
Social media is also circulating videos of aircraft crashing in which the ship can be seen descending high.
The Air Force Headquarters has ordered the formation of an inquiry board to ascertain the cause of the accident, the Pakistan Air Force spokesman said.
It is to be remembered that military parades are held in Pakistan every year on March 23, whose preparations and rehearsals begin several days in advance. The airliner was also conducting drills to prepare for the parade.
Use of F-16
The US-received F-16 aircraft were delivered to Pakistan for the first time in 1981, used to protect refugee campuses on the Pakistan-Afghan border.
Pakistan acquired these aircraft from the United States for Afghan jihad and over time these aircraft became important in Pakistan’s airspace.
Pakistan has also been using these aircraft on Line of Control with India, and during the Kargil war in 1999, flights of F-16 aircraft continued along the Pakistan-India border.
After 9/11, F-16 Block 52C and D were provided to Pakistan. These ships were used to bomb enemy bases in the tribal areas during the war on terror.
Pakistan has also built JF17 Thunder planes with China to reduce dependence on F-16 aircraft. But Pakistan’s air power is still heavily dependent on F-16 aircraft.
What do experts say?
According to a former PAF Captain officer, the F-16 is very important in the Pakistani Air Force. From the point of view of Pakistan, it is the best aircraft that is considered very safe. But there are technical reasons, weather conditions and bird collisions that can cause any plane to crash.
He said that more than 70 F-16 aircraft are currently in use by Pakistan Air Force. However, the Pakistan Air Force has not released any official information regarding the current number of F-16 aircraft.
