On the night of May 8, India successfully pushed back air strikes from Pakistan across Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. Soon after, reports began to surface that Pakistan may have used its F-16 fighter jets during the attack. Some unconfirmed reports even said that a Pakistani aircraft was shot down and its pilot was caught.

This raised an important question again: Is Pakistan allowed to use its F-16 jets in a fight with India?

Pakistan's F-16 fighter jets were sold by the United States under a special program called the Foreign Military Sales (FMS). These deals come with strict rules about how and where the jets can be used.

What rules does the US set?

Every F-16 sold to Pakistan comes with an End-Use Monitoring (EUM) agreement. This agreement does not allow Pakistan to use these jets freely or make changes to them without the approval of the US.

The US also has teams in Pakistan that keep an eye on how the jets and missiles are being used. These teams are part of two programs called Golden Sentry and Blue Lantern. Their job is to make sure that American-made weapons are not misused.

What are F-16s allowed to be used for?

According to the agreement, Pakistan can use these jets only for counterterrorism missions — meaning fighting against terrorist groups or non-state actors, not other countries.

Also, weapons like AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, which are also made in the US, are not allowed to be used in regular wars unless the US gives permission.

Have there been issues before?

Yes. Back in 2019, during the Balakot air strikes, India claimed that Pakistan had used F-16s in an attack. The US looked into the matter but didn’t officially confirm any rule-breaking.

If Pakistan uses F-16s in regular battles without asking the US, it could break the agreement, which may cause serious issues in Pakistan-US relations. The US could stop military support or delay future aircraft sales.

You might also be interested in - How much fuel do India’s Rafale jets burn during war missions?