Used in Retaliation to Balakot Strikes, Pakistan to Get AIM-120 Mi
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Washington approves supply of AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles to Islamabad, reviving regional tensions and raising strategic concerns in New Delhi
Washington / New Delhi : October 8, 2025
Islamabad / Washington / New Delhi —
In a development with deep geopolitical resonance, the United States has approved a deal to supply AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) to Pakistan, reigniting strategic concerns in India and prompting fresh analysis of South Asia’s evolving air combat balance. The AIM-120, one of the world’s most sophisticated beyond-visual-range (BVR) missiles, has long been associated with the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) F-16 fleet — and was allegedly used in aerial engagements that followed the Balakot airstrikes of February 2019.
According to the U.S. Department of War’s official notification, the sale falls under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) category, which facilitates the export of advanced weapon systems to allied nations. While the U.S. did not specify the volume or cost of missiles allocated to Islamabad, defence analysts note that Pakistan’s inclusion in this multilateral procurement contract signals a revival of U.S.-Pakistan defence cooperation after years of friction.
This move arrives at a time when regional security dynamics are once again shifting. The U.S. decision, ostensibly part of a larger arms package, has political and strategic undertones, particularly because of the weapon’s controversial history in South Asia.
A Symbolic Return of a Contested Missile
The AIM-120 AMRAAM is not just a weapon — it is a symbol of aerial dominance and strategic deterrence. A radar-guided missile designed for BVR engagements, it allows aircraft to strike targets more than 50 miles away with high precision. Integrated primarily with Pakistan’s F-16s, the AIM-120 gives the PAF a credible air superiority edge against older platforms in India’s inventory.
The missile first entered the region’s consciousness during the 2019 post-Balakot aerial skirmishes, when Indian authorities displayed debris allegedly belonging to AIM-120 missiles fired by Pakistani F-16s. Those engagements came after India’s Operation Bandar, which targeted a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot in retaliation for the Pulwama terror attack.
While Pakistan denied using F-16s during that engagement, the recovered fragments indicated otherwise. The AIM-120 AMRAAM thus became politically charged — an instrument of both military capability and diplomatic contention.
U.S.-Pakistan Defence Cooperation: A Renewed Chapter
The approval of AIM-120 missiles marks a subtle but notable recalibration in Washington’s South Asia policy. In recent years, the U.S. has sought to maintain a delicate balance between its partnerships with India and Pakistan. India remains a major strategic ally under the Indo-Pacific framework, while Pakistan serves as a geopolitical lever in Afghanistan and the broader Central Asian region.
By greenlighting this deal, the U.S. appears to be re-engaging Islamabad under the pretext of “counter-terrorism support” and “regional stability.” However, defence experts interpret the move as a signal to keep Pakistan aligned with Western defence systems amid its growing defence cooperation with China.
Analyst Dr. Sameer Patil, a senior fellow at Gateway House, notes:
“This is less about immediate battlefield dynamics and more about keeping channels open with the Pakistani military establishment. The U.S. is playing a long strategic game — ensuring it retains leverage in Islamabad even as China deepens its defence footprint there.”
Strategic Implications for India
For India, the development is likely to raise concerns on multiple levels. First, the AIM-120 AMRAAM gives Pakistan enhanced aerial interception and deterrence capabilities, particularly along the Line of Control (LoC). Second, it could embolden Islamabad to continue modernizing its F-16 fleet with Western components, complicating India’s regional deterrence posture.
The Indian Air Force (IAF), which has since inducted Rafale jets equipped with Meteor missiles, maintains a technological edge in BVR warfare. However, the re-entry of AIM-120s into Pakistan’s arsenal narrows that gap.
Indian defence officials, speaking off-record, describe the move as “unsettling but not unexpected.” They emphasize that New Delhi may raise the issue diplomatically, especially in the context of past U.S. assurances that F-16s supplied to Pakistan were to be used strictly for counter-terrorism operations.
The Balakot Retaliation Legacy
The Balakot strikes of February 26, 2019, marked the first instance since 1971 of Indian fighter jets crossing the international border to strike targets inside Pakistan. The next day, Pakistani F-16s and Indian MiG-21s clashed in a brief but intense aerial skirmish. India claimed it shot down an F-16 — a claim Pakistan denied — while the IAF lost a MiG-21 Bison and its pilot was captured and later released.
During that encounter, India alleged that Pakistan used AIM-120 missiles launched from F-16s, displaying debris as proof. The controversy led to U.S. inquiries into whether Pakistan had violated the end-use agreement tied to its F-16 fleet. Now, with this new sale, critics question whether Washington has tacitly moved past that episode in pursuit of broader strategic objectives.
A Calculated American Move
From Washington’s perspective, the AIM-120 deal fits into a pattern of controlled engagement — providing limited but strategic military assistance without significantly altering regional power balances. The U.S. State Department maintains that such arms sales are part of standard security cooperation agreements and do not signify a shift in policy toward India.
However, the optics tell a different story. As the U.S. bolsters defence ties with India through the Quad alliance and technology-sharing pacts, its simultaneous military engagement with Pakistan introduces an element of strategic duality. This approach reflects Washington’s traditional desire to maintain influence with both South Asian nuclear powers.
Regional Stability and the Way Forward
Analysts warn that the missile deal could embolden Pakistan’s military modernization drive, potentially triggering a parallel Indian response through accelerated procurement or technology partnerships with France, Israel, or the U.S. itself.
The aerial combat dynamic between India and Pakistan has historically been shaped by technological parity and deterrence signaling. With AIM-120 AMRAAMs returning to Pakistan’s inventory, there is renewed risk of miscalculation in future airspace encounters — especially given heightened sensitivities along the LoC and in Jammu & Kashmir.
As defence experts note, such developments emphasize the need for robust military-to-military communication channels and crisis management mechanisms between the two nations. Without them, even a minor skirmish could rapidly escalate into a larger confrontation.
The Broader Picture
The AIM-120 sale underscores how U.S. foreign military sales (FMS) continue to shape the strategic equilibrium in South Asia. For Islamabad, it restores prestige and technological credibility; for Washington, it ensures enduring leverage in Pakistan’s defence landscape; for New Delhi, it serves as a reminder that geopolitical alignments remain fluid, not fixed.
As the region recalibrates around new realities of aerial warfare, missile capability, and strategic deterrence, the re-entry of AIM-120 AMRAAMs into Pakistan’s arsenal marks a significant — and potentially provocative — development in the enduring story of India-Pakistan rivalry.
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