The military relationship between the United States and Pakistan has entered a new phase, marked by Pakistan’s inclusion in a major US air-to-air missile contract. Weeks after a high-profile meeting between President Donald Trump and Pakistan’s leadership, the move signals a warming of ties between Islamabad and Washington.
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Pakistan is set to receive the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM), a cornerstone of Western air superiority.
- Seller/Contractor: The missile manufacturer, Raytheon, received a $41.6 million modification to a pre-existing contract (FA8675-23-C-0037), bringing the total value to over $2.51 billion.
- Source: The US Department of War (DoW)—the recently renamed Department of Defense—listed Pakistan among the confirmed foreign buyers.
- Variants: Pakistan will receive the advanced C8 and D3 variants of the AMRAAM. The AIM-120C8 is the export version of the AIM-120D, the most advanced AMRAAM currently in US service, representing a significant upgrade from the older C5 variant currently operated by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
- Compatibility: The missiles are compatible only with the PAF’s F-16 fleet, leading to speculation about potential upgrades for those fighters.
- Completion: The contract work is scheduled for completion by May 2030. The exact number of missiles for Pakistan was not specified.
Diplomatic Context
This defense cooperation follows a visible improvement in diplomatic relations:
- High-Level Meetings: The deal comes shortly after a meeting in September 2025 where President Donald Trump met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at the Oval Office. Munir had also held a rare one-on-one meeting with Trump in June.
- Regional Conflict: The warming ties coincide with the aftermath of a brief India-Pakistan military conflict in May 2025. Pakistan publicly credited President Trump for helping to broker a ceasefire and even proposed his name for the Nobel Peace Prize. India, however, maintained that the truce was achieved through direct talks between their respective Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs).
