Overview
- The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress on December 8 of a $686 million package to modernize Pakistan’s F‑16 fleet with avionics, Link‑16, training and logistics, citing operational safety and counterterrorism cooperation.
- Reporting highlights an October change allowing Raytheon to sell AMRAAMs to Pakistan, signaling a broader reopening of defense channels.
- The Washington Times portrays the year as a decisive policy pivot under President Trump, ending a long‑standing India‑first approach and elevating Pakistan’s strategic value.
- High‑level engagement intensified, with Trump meeting Pakistan’s army chief twice, hosting an unprecedented White House lunch for Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and holding a rare meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
- Analyses say Washington now sees Pakistan offering discreet access on Iran and Gaza and a limited counterweight to China, while cautioning that the durability of the reset remains uncertain.