US dismisses media reports on air-to-air Amraam missile sale to Pakistan

The US Embassy in India on Friday (October 10) issued a clarification following reports suggesting that the United States was selling advanced AIM-120 air-to-air missiles to Pakistan.

In a statement, the American consulate dismissed all media claims regarding such a sale, terming them inaccurate.

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US denies missile sale to Pak

According to the embassy, the US Department of War’s announcement on September 30 referred only to "an amendment to an existing Foreign Military Sales contract for sustainment and spares for several countries, including Pakistan".

The press release specified that the contract modification concerns “sustainment and spares” only and does not involve any upgrade to Pakistan’s existing military capabilities.

On September 30, the US Department of War released a standard list of standard contract announcements, which included modifications to a Foreign Military Sales contract for certain sustainment items.

Embassy issues clarification

Contrary to widespread media speculation, the embassy clarified that the modification does not include the delivery of new AMRAAMs to Pakistan, nor does it enhance Pakistan’s current air combat capacity.

"The Administration would like to emphasise that contrary to false media reports, no part of this referenced contract modification is for deliveries of new Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs) to Pakistan. The sustainment does not include an upgrade to any of Pakistan’s current capabilities," the statement read.

In a separate statement, the embassy further noted that earlier reports had “misinterpreted or overstated the intent and scope of the contract modification".

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Media reports fuel speculation

Over the past few days, several media outlets reported that Pakistan was likely to receive AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles from the United States, a move that could strengthen its F-16 fleet and alter the regional air balance.

Such reports also fuelled speculation that Washington was extending a capability upgrade to Islamabad amid signs of improving bilateral relations and Islamabad’s brewing tensions with India.

However, the US Embassy’s clarification directly rebuts these narratives, stressing that the contract is strictly “sustainment” in nature, intended to support existing systems rather than enhance them.