GUWAHATI: The United States will sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to India, marking a shift in military cooperation between the two nations. This was announced by US President Donald Trump in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, February 13.
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This move could strategically place India among a select group of countries to engage in state-of-the-art stealth aircraft.
"Starting this year, we will be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars,” Trump reportedly addressed reporters at the White House. “We are also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters."
However, if the deal between the two nations goes through, it could still take years to materialise, given the complex approval process for foreign military sales, particularly for high-end technology like the F-35. The Pentagon typically acts as an intermediary between defence contractors and foreign governments in such deals. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35, has also not yet commented on Trump’s announcement.
Other hurdles exist in the potential deal, such as India’s strong defence ties with Russia, including its purchase of the S-400 missile defence system in 2018. The US, in a related scenario, had previously blocked F-35 co-production with Turkey over concerns that Russian technology could compromise the aircraft’s stealth capabilities.
Notably, India has steadily increased its defence purchases from the US, having acquired more than $20 billion worth of equipment since 2008. Last year, New Delhi had already agreed to purchase 31 MQ-9B SeaGuardian and SkyGuardian drones following six years of discussions.