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Pakistan triggers off arms race with proposed acquisition of F-16s

The traditional hostility between India and Pakistan ever since Partition has had one significant fall-out: the perpetual arms race between the two neighbours for military superiority. Suddenly, after a deceptive lull in the '70s, the arms race has once again been triggered off by Pakistan's proposed acquisition of F-16s. An offshoot of this race is the controversial role played by intermediaries of arms peddlers. An in-depth report on the arms race and the agents.

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The General Dynamics F-16: Another arms race in the subcontinent
It is the world's hottest fighter. Its combat range is roughly 950 km, although with mid-air refuelling it can deliver a bomb load of up to 12,000 pounds to longer distances. Its single Pratt & Whitney turbofan engine is capable of propelling the sleek bullet at speeds upwards of 2,200 km per hour - Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound.