Trump's F‑35 pledge ignites new era in US‑India defence ties
Donald Trump announced that the United States will significantly increase military equipment sales to India and pave the way for a contract regarding F-35 fighter jets for the country. India is the largest arms importer in the world, having armed itself with Russian equipment for years, and was recently mentioned among potential buyers of the Su-57 fighters.
The declaration was made at the White House on Thursday, 13th February, where the US President met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
– Starting this year, we will be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars. We are also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F35, Stealth fighters, – said Donald Trump.
Donald Trump promises F-35 for India?
Interestingly, it was in India, at the Aero India 2025 show, that the first "meeting" of the F-35 fighter with the Russian Su-57 occurred. Moscow has been proposing this aircraft to many countries for years, including India, which, after initial interest, decided against acquiring the Su-57. Ultimately, the first foreign user of these fighters will be Algeria, but there was speculation that during Aero India 2025, the Russian delegation would present another offer to India.
Donald Trump stated that he has fantastic relations with Prime Minister Modi and that India had been treated very poorly by Joe Biden. Although it is a country that is the largest buyer of Russian arms and a member of BRICS, the American president is not afraid to use strong language. Numerous decisions made by the Indian authorities in recent years suggest that engaging with the West is increasingly desirable. India is gradually turning away from Russian weapons and focusing on its own industry or contracts with France (Rafale aircraft), Germany (joint construction of submarines), or the United States. From the latter, it seeks, among other things, permission to produce Stryker armoured vehicles in India.
Donald Trump fights for a big market
"If the US is willing to offer (as per Trump), one school of thought is that IAF should acquire two squadrons of F-35A," was assessed in a publication on The Eurasian Times portal.
The F-35A is one of three main variants of this American fighter – a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft. It is a fifth-generation fighter, made with stealth technology (low observability). This aspect is precisely what interests the Indian armed forces, as uncertainties regarding stealth technology were behind their decision against the Russian Su-57, which, contrary to announcements, may have problems evading radars.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, over the past two decades, Russia accounted for about 65% of the weaponry purchased by the Indian army, earning about $60 (£47.5) billion from these transactions. It is estimated that in the next decade, India might be willing to spend up to $100 (£79.5) billion on further military equipment orders.
