Pakistan has criticised the the Israeli cabinet's approval of the sale of three Phalcon airborne early warning systems to India on Sunday, saying it would accentuate the strategic imbalance in South Asia.
"Such transactions undermine the spirit of peace and stability being pushed by Pakistan, India and the international community in the region," foreign office spokesman Masood Khan told state television.
"The arrival of such a sophisticated system in our neighbourhood is certainly a cause for concern to us. It will also whip a new arms race in the region," said the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations, Major General Shaukat Sultan.
He added, "We will take every possible step to ensure our security."
As per the terms of the $ 1.1 billion agreement between Israel and India, avionics from state-owned Israel Aircraft Industries would be fitted onto Russian Ilyushin aircraft. Israel would buy Ilyushin-76 cargo aircraft from Uzbekistan, and then send them to Russia for upgrading the engines and other structural modifications. These aircraft would then be flown to Isreal for loading the Airborne Warning and Control System radar system before they are delivered to India.
