Washington (TDI): The United States has cleared the sale of advanced air-to-air missiles to Pakistan as part of a contract modification involving multiple international buyers.
Raytheon, one of America’s leading defense manufacturers, will deliver the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) to the Pakistan Air Force under a revised agreement valued at $41.6 million, according to a statement released by the US Department of War for the US Air Force on September 30.
The update brings the overall value of the existing contract to $2.512 billion, with production to take place in Tucson, Arizona, and completion expected by May 2030.
The document listed several countries among the recipients, including the United Kingdom, Poland, Pakistan, Germany, Finland, Australia, Romania, Qatar, Oman, South Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, the Netherlands, Japan, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Norway, Spain, Kuwait, Sweden, Taiwan, Lithuania, Israel, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Turkiye.
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The deal reflects a steady improvement in US–Pakistan relations, which have warmed in recent months. Ties between the two countries strengthened after President Donald Trump’s mediation in the armed standoff between Pakistan and India, which ultimately led to a ceasefire. The Pakistani government later nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of that role.
In a related development, Washington and Islamabad signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in September under which the United States Strategic Minerals (USSM) will invest $500 million in Pakistan’s critical minerals sector. The agreement includes plans to build mineral processing and development facilities aimed at producing materials like antimony, copper, gold, tungsten, and rare earth elements.
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The Missouri-based USSM specializes in sourcing and recycling critical minerals deemed essential by the US Department of Energy for advanced manufacturing and clean energy technologies. The partnership envisions establishing a poly-metallic refinery in Pakistan, capable of producing intermediate and finished mineral products for export to the American market.
