THIS refers to Pervez Hoodbhoy`s article `Can Pakistan`s F-16s fight terror?` (April 16) and the letter `Buying F-16s` (April 18) by Shahid Ehsan Khalid.

Dr Hoodbhoy has argued that Pakistan`s desire to acquire more `F-16 fighter bombers` for fighting terrorists is irrational since the plane isn`t suited for that and drones would be much better.

On his part, Mr Khalid says `these F-16s are 32 years old` and are thus `junk`. He suggests cancellation of the order for these.

First, Mr Hoodbhoy, who is a physicist, doesn`t even know that the F-16 isn`t a `fighter bomber` but specifically a fighter.

Second, he`s ignored the fact that these platforms are currently being deployed effectively against militants. Third, he`s insulted the intelligence of both PAF planners and the majority of America`s lawmakers plus the Obama administration who believe Pakistan is justified in seeking these.

Mr Khalid seems utterly ignorant of facts about the PAF`s past performance, as well as the F-16. This plane is `the world`s most prolific fighter with more than 2,000 in service with USAF and 2,500 operational with 25 other countries,` including The Netherlands, Japan, Israel, New Zealand, Turkey, Singapore and S. Korea. Its high performance at a relatively low cost makes it the world`s second-most common currently operational military aircraft.

This `junk` was used by the Turkish Air Force to shoot down a Russian SU 24 last year. And, the same `junk` was used by a young PAF flight lieutenant to force a Russian plane flown by no less than a brigadier general that had violated ourairspace during the Afghan war in the 1980s, to land here! The `50 years ago` column of Dawn last September had cited dispatches of some Western reporters during the 1965 PakistanIndia war of how fantastically PAF pilots had been doing. A Pakistani pilot in Jordan for training RJAF pilots had single-handedly shot down three Israeli superior aircraft during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

Pakistan`s ace pilot Sqn. Ldr M. M. Alam made history in 1965 by downing five Indian jets within a minute. When, as an air commodore, he participated in training at the Royal College of Defence Studies in the UK, he was hailed as the most brilliant officer out of many nations to have ever attended the course!Thisis the stuffthat PAF is made of and they make their decisions very competently.

Khalid Chaudhry Karachi