Despite the 90-day freeze on foreign aid, US President Donald Trump has released $5.3 billion in funds for security and counter-narcotics, including $397 million in funding to "monitor" Pakistan’s F-16 fleet, according to a Reuters report. The report points out that the funds are intended to sustain Pakistan’s F-16s for counter-terrorism operations, with strict oversight to ensure they aren’t used against India. 

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The report by the news agency says that the release was for a "US-backed program in nuclear-armed Pakistan that a congressional aide said monitored Islamabad's use of US-made F-16 fighter jets to ensure they are employed for counterterrorism operations and not against rival India".

Balakot airstrikes

The report comes just days before the 6th anniversary of Balakot airstrikes by India in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist camp (26 February 2019) in response to the Pulwama terror attack.

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Also Read: ‘Informed Pak about Balakot strike before media’: PM Modi highlights his ‘fight from front’ policy

The terror attack, one of the deadliest on Indian soil by Pakistan terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, killed 40 Indian security personnel. 

Pakistan used US-supplied F-16s

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In the aftermath of the Balakot strikes by India, Pakistan's Air Force struck back to target Indian military sites near the Line of Control (LoC). India said that Pakistan used US-supplied F-16s, something that is a violation of the end-user agreement between Islamabad and Washington. Pakistan got its F-16s under deals tied to counter-terrorism as the US explicitly barred their use in offensive operations against other nations, including India. 

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Delhi also publicly showed the fragments of the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile that was fired from an F-16 during a "dogfight" between Indian and Pakistani air forces. In a report in "US News", in 2019 it was stated that Andrea Thompson, the then-undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs, had sent a strongly worded letter written to the head of the Pakistani Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan reprimanding Islamabad over the use of US-supplied F16s against India  

Overall, the US reaction was muted to the use of F16s against India during the February 2019 skirmishes. Trump’s administration, in power then, expressed "concern" via the State Department about potential misuse but didn’t confirm a violation.

Trump, Biden stance on Pak F-16 support


During his first term, Donald Trump took a hard stance against Pakistan, halting all defence and security assistance in January 2018. He accused Pakistan of offering "nothing but lies and deceit" in return for billions in US aid, particularly for not doing enough against terrorist groups like the Taliban and Haqqani Network. However, in July 2019, after a meeting with then-Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Trump administration approved $125 million in technical and logistical support for Pakistan’s F-16s. 

The Biden administration, in contrast, reversed Trump’s 2018 suspension outright in September 2022, approving a $450 million F-16 sustainment program. This package focused on maintaining Pakistan’s existing fleet—covering spare parts, software updates, and technical support—without adding new weapons or capabilities, a decision that was criticised by India. 

EAM Dr S Jaishankar challenged the Biden administration's claim that the package was intended for counter-terrorism efforts, stating, “You’re not fooling anybody by saying these things,” implying that the jets were more likely to be used against India than in anti-terror operations—a nod to their deployment history, like the 2019 Balakot clash.

The US relies on programmes like Blue Lantern and Golden Sentry for end-use monitoring. While globally successful in preventing unauthorised transfers, these systems have rarely been tested during live military crises such as the 2019 India-Pakistan standoff. 

India’s concerns are rooted in experience; despite assurances, past monitoring failed to prevent misuse. Trump admin latest decision will be closely watched in Delhi.