France to supply Tiger combat helicopters to Pakistan

Islamabad: In a major initiative, aimed at gaining some strategic traction in the sub-continental region, France has agreed to provide Pakistan state-of-the-art Tiger combat helicopters along with other sophisticated military equipment, ostensibly to take on the Taliban. The announcement was made by Admiral Edouard Guillaud, the military personal staff advisor to French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, who is currently heading a delegation to the insurgency-torn country.

The Tiger combat helicopters will be equipped with ground-to-ground missiles with semi-active laser seekers with a range of over eight kilometers. They will also be fitted with advanced radars and anti-tank missiles.

Admiral Guillaud held a series of meetings with president Asif Ali Zardari, prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, chief of army staff, General Ashfaq Kayani, and several other top officials here.

A French embassy official said the delegation was in Pakistan as a follow-up to the recent visit of president Zardari and General Kayani to France.

"The fight against terrorism is a key matter of concern for the international community. Within the framework of our common goal to fight terrorism, this visit aims at strengthening our bilateral cooperation in the field of defence and security," the official said.

The official also said that both sides had decided to extend ties, primarily in the field of defence and the use of civilian nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.