The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of F-16 aircraft sustainment and related equipment to Pakistan in a deal valued at up to $450 million, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Corp, the Pentagon said.

The deal, however, will not include “any new capabilities, weapons, or munitions” for the aircraft which is Pakistan’s Air Force’s main fighter, even though they have the JF-17s in larger numbers.

It is the first major security assistance approval to Pakistan from Washington after former US president Donald Trump’s administration, in 2018, announced ending security assistance to Pakistan. Washington alleged Islamabad was not taking concrete actions against militants.

It said the proposed sale would continue the sustainment of Pakistan’s F-16 fleet, which “greatly improves” Pakistan’s ability to support counterterrorism operations through its robust air-to-ground capability.

“The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region,” it added.

Earlier in April, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said the country enjoyed “excellent” ties with the United States and the best military equipment Pakistan had was from Washington.

“We had historically excellent relations with US,” the army chief said in a statement shared by the army’s media wing, the ISPR, quoting what Bajwa had said at a conference in Islamabad on April 05, 2020.

“The good army we have today is largely built and trained by US. The best equipment we have is American equipment. We still have deep cooperation with US and our Western friends.”

The US spokesman said that Pakistan allows the use of F-16s during operations against terrorists, but it is hoped that it will take permanent action against all terrorist groups.