During talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington on Thursday (February 13), President Donald Trump announced that his administration would begin paving the way for India to eventually acquire the fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter.
The Joint Strike Fighter Program, which began in 1994, is the most expensive U.S. weapons program, with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimating its total cost to American taxpayers at $1.7 trillion. The expensive program has eight international development partners, and the United States has approved foreign military sales with 12 additional countries, including Israel, South Korea, and Singapore.
India hosted a showcase of both the F-35 and the Russian Su-57 at its Aero India 2025 air show held from February 10 to 14 at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru, Asia’s largest airshow. According to PIB, the 15th edition of Aero India will have more than 900 exhibitors and participation from 90 countries, and around 30 defense ministers and more than 100 OEMs will participate.
In a November post on X, Elon Musk criticized the F-35, questioning the relevance of manned fighter jets in the age of drone warfare. Billionaire Musk commented, “Meanwhile, some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35.”
What To Know
President Trump announced the decision to supply fifth-generation stealth fighters to India during a joint press conference after his meeting with Modi at the White House on Thursday. India will boost its military capabilities if it buys US F-35 fighter jets.
Citing the need to strengthen the QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) alliance that includes Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, Trump said the F-35 sale is part of a plan to boost multibillion-dollar military sales to India, according to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to strengthen a diplomatic relationship between Japan and the United States and build an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient.
Trump said the sale will take place this year, showing the US government continues to see it as important to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The deal will further strengthen the US-India relationship in the future, which India is pursuing through port deals and technology sharing with the US.
F-35 variants
The fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter developed by aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin is designed to perform a variety of missions, including air-to-air combat, air-to-ground attack, and intelligence gathering. There are three variants: the first of which is the F-35A with conventional takeoff and landing, the second is the short takeoff and vertical-landing full F-35B, and the third is the catapult-assisted takeoff but arrested recovery complete F-35C.
According to CNBC TV18, the F-35 Lightning II fighter has a unit price of $80 million to $115 million, and each flight hour costs about $36,000.
Countries with operational F-35 fleets include the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Norway, Israel, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. And pending countries include Denmark, Singapore, Belgium, and Poland.
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