ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force gets a boost in Night Strike and deeppenetrative precision capabilities against the enemy with the addition ofthe 36 Mirages being bought from Egypt.

Pakistan’s Air Force is expected to seal a contract with Egypt to purchaseupgraded Dassault Mirage-V combat aircraft. The two countries have beennegotiating the contract for years and now the final contract may see thelight of day because the Pakistan Air Force wanted these fighter jets tostrengthen its existing squadron of jets.

“Negotiations to purchase 36 such aircrafts almost reached the finalstage”, one of the person familiar with the negotiations said. These jetswere retired from service by the Egyptian Air Force long ago, so Pakistanwill have to refurbish them before pressing the aircraft into service.

The Mirage V in question possesses a helmet-mounted display, mission pods,and night strike capability. Sources said Pakistan would upgrade these jetsbefore putting a few of them into operation, like in the past when it hasupgraded dozens of Mirage-III/Vs with Italian radars and other electronicsat the Mirage Rebuild Factory, established by the Pakistan Air Force in1978.

Pakistan’s Air Force has been operating Mirage combat jets for the lastfive decades and despite the induction of the JF-17, the force planned toput on hold the retirement of the Mirage in the absence of better weaponry.Over the past five decades, Pakistan has purchased nearly 150 Mirage III/Vfighters. The force had in the past also bought retired Mirage-III fromAustralia.