US President Donald Trump has offered India to acquire the F-35 fifth generation fighter aircraft. But his offer is not official, rather his offer is similar to the offer made by the then head of the Pacific Command, Admiral Philip S Davidson in 2018.
A deal was struck between the US and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for 50 F-35 fighter jets for around $23 billion. But in January 2021, Joe Biden stopped this deal only because the UAE signed an agreement with the Chinese company Huawei for 5G. After which in December 2021, the UAE separated itself from this deal.
US President Donald Trump has offered India to acquire the F-35 fifth generation fighter aircraft. But his offer is not official, rather his offer is similar to the offer made by the then head of the Pacific Command, Admiral Philip S Davidson in 2018. Similarly, the process of co-production of a multi-role fighter aircraft in India was first proposed in 2019, but it did not reach anywhere. Similarly, in 2019, India had considered the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA), but this idea is still under consideration for 6 years. Therefore, if India has to buy F-35 fighter jets immediately, then it should move towards buying through the ‘Rafale route’ on the terms, conditions and prices set by the government.
What did Lockheed Martin say on the sale of F-35?
Lockheed Martin has said “India has been a trusted and strategic partner for more than 3 decades and has played an important role in laying the foundation of the aerospace and defense ecosystem. It has said that we have proven our commitment to India through various production programs such as C-130J, S-92 cabin and fighter wing included in the global supply chain.”
