Classified files of CIA is comingout with sensational revelations about India and Pakistan in the last couple of days. After revealing how USA feared that India would have ordered annexation of POK right after the liberation of East Pakistan from Pakistan, CIA came with another shocking revelations.
According to CIA classified documents, a 1984 document felt India's acquisition of MIG-29s was a better deal than Pakistan buying F-16s, as the former had superior ""medium-range capability"
It felt Indian Air Force was largest and better than Pakistan and could have inflicted major damage destroying Pakistan's critical nuclear facilities. The secret intelligence assessment was made soon after the assassination of the then PM Indira Gandhi felt that an attack by the IAF could "destroy or sufficiently damage the facilities to prevent Islamabad from producing nuclear weapons for several years."
CIA also felt that MIG 29s - which India at the time was awaiting delivery of - had "medium-range capability superior to" that of the F-16s, which were and still are made by the US. Notably, Pakistan possessed F-16s. Document added Because of "poor command, control, and communications, we judge that Islamabad could not blunt a massed Indian airstrike", and felt that "surprise and speed" by the IAF were critical for a successful strike on Pakistan's 'most critical' nuclear facilities. According to the CIA, those facilities were the Kahuta Enrichment Plant and PINSTECH-New Laboratories facility, both of which were just 30 minutes away by plane from India.
CIA document went on "We believe that the Pakistanis can neither provide effective air defense for their military and industrial targets against a concerted Indian air attack nor seriously threaten most strategic targets in India,"
CIA believevd that in the event of an IAF strike, it would have used MIg-23s and its Jaguar aircraft against Pakistan. CIA document explained "The best window for a preemptive strike, in our opinion, would be during November through February. Low precipitation and lack of clods make visual target identification the easiest in this period,"
