India Needs F-35 Now to Counter China's J-20 Threat Until AMCA is Ready, Urges Former Air Marshal

Former Indian Air Force (IAF) officer Air Marshal Anil Chopra has made a strong case for India to acquire the F-35 stealth fighter jet as a crucial interim solution to counter China's growing air power, particularly the rapid deployment of its J-20 fighters.

In a recent interview, Chopra emphasized the urgency of the situation, pointing to China's plans to have 1,000 J-20s operational by 2035. While he acknowledged the significance of India's indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, he stressed the need for a stopgap measure until the AMCA becomes a reality. Chopra even advocated for direct Prime Minister's Office oversight of the AMCA program to ensure its timely development.

According to Chopra, the F-35 is the most viable option for India to bridge this capability gap. The positive feedback from IAF pilots who examined the aircraft at Aero India 2023 and a seemingly more receptive stance from the Pentagon suggest that the US may be open to selling the F-35 to India.

Chopra urged India to consider pursuing this option as soon as possible, even though no formal request has been made. He highlighted the F-35's advanced capabilities, including stealth technology and long-range strike capabilities, which would give India a significant advantage over its adversaries.

Beyond bolstering India's air power, acquiring the F-35 would strengthen its strategic partnership with the United States and serve as a deterrent to potential adversaries in the region.

However, Chopra acknowledged the challenges associated with buying American fighter jets, including logistical complexities due to India's existing reliance on Russian jets and potential US reluctance to share cutting-edge technology.

Chopra also highlighted concerns about India's outdated fighter jet squadrons and the urgency to address the gap in air defence capabilities. He acknowledged that acquiring American fighter jets is a temporary solution, and India must prioritize long-term investments in research and development to achieve self-reliance in critical defense technologies.

 

[PKPRS]

No good viable choices...IAF Options are the following or a combination of these in some form -

1. do nothing and live with the threat...not a good idea...
2. accelerate AMCA, Tejas Mk2 etc...best case not before 2035 for AMCA and 2030 for Tejas Mk2;
3. buy Russian maal of Su-57...substandard and antagonize America/West;
4. buy French maal...which is not starting with MRFA before 2033-2035 at a very high cost...
5. Sleep with the Americans and somehow get some F-35s...sacrifice strategic autonomy and live with their whims/fancies...

Whatever we do will cost money (capability costs money) - key considerations should include a combination of timelines, TOT, domestic ecosystem with our depleting IAF force levels and the elevated threat environment with Pakistan potentially getting J-31s before 2030...

1) we can’t sit idle, in two years many countries around us will operate some sort of 5th gen jet, we can’t face those jet’s with Tejas MK1A or Rafale or with our other 3rd and 4th gen jets. so we need a 5th gen jet or even 4.75 gen jet like SU-57 or KAI.

2) AMCA can’t be made without foreign help, very well established Aerospace behemoths are struggling to make a true 5th gen stealth jet, we are a minnow in Aerspace.

3) what other options will work with our existing infra, we don’t have to buy SU-57, we can make FGFA based on SU-57 with 46 additional enhancements to make it more stealthier as planned originally, this is our only possibility.

4) France only has 4th gen jet, they themselves said that their 6th gen jet will be available only in 2050, also it is ridiculous to spend $40Bln for a 4th gen tech, if their 6th gen aircraft is ready they will ask $600-$800Mln for each.

5)Impossible with 95% Russian equipments,

6) our self prestige won’t allow to get Korean KAI or Turkish khan.

US has sold F35 to a country that has Russian S300, only problem is S400, we won’t part that easily by donating them to Ukraine and antagonizing Russia.

so the only practical option is FGFA made in India as 4.99th gen jet and with that experience make AMCA as a 6th gen jet.

 

[Mandar Sawant]

Buy 36 su 57 goverment to goverment deal from russia they are not great but will be effective against china and pakistan

 

[Mandar Sawant]

F35 is a bad idea. You cannot trust USA as they may spring some surprise during event of need thus better to stay away. There are other options: Like SU-57, or Chakemate-SU-75.

Checkmate is still not developed su 57 might be good choice aginst china and pakistan

 

[Invi Pass]

50 F35s + 50 F-15E is must needed to take on China. Neither Rafale or Su 30MKI super will be able to handle China.

Rafale + Su 30 MKI super + Tejas can easily take care of Pakistan.

S400 can be used to protect Mumbai and South India far away from F35s

 

[ConcernedCitizen]

Checkmate is still not developed su 57 might be good choice aginst china and pakistan

But there are only 15 su57s produced so far and none with the new engine they talk about a lot! Even before sanctions russia had supply chain troubles to produce su 57 or the armata tanks in any decent numbers. Now the supply chain issues would only be worse!

 

[tipoo2]

At this point it's really our only hope to get the boot off our neck, 300 J20s deep, a production rate that would cross 1000 before we fly our first AMCA, and even Pakistan getting 5-7 fifth gen squadrons before us. Su-57 is the worst of the fifth gen and who knows what they can deliver at this time, but it may be enough to counter the derated export FC31 for Pakistan as China keeps the J20 to itself. If the F35 were on offer, I'd do everything to get at least 2-4 squadrons so we at least have a qualitative edge at least until Chinese sixth gen.

 

[Mandar Sawant]

But there are only 15 su57s produced so far and none with the new engine they talk about a lot! Even before sanctions russia had supply chain troubles to produce su 57 or the armata tanks in any decent numbers. Now the supply chain issues would only be worse!

Yes but if order is placed by iaf many other countries will buy su57 too same what happened with rafale then russia will definately sort out supply chain problems

 

[ConcernedCitizen]

Yes but if order is placed by iaf many other countries will buy su57 too same what happened with rafale then russia will definately sort out supply chain problems

They have much more urgent and huge requirements of armata tanks for the war and still havent sorted that out yet! I feel if we have to gamble on russians sorting out the supply chain issues in 6 years and produce su57s in large numbers. I would rather bet on south korea getting their near stealth aircraft out.

 

[Akshat]

How capable rafale f4 is, can it win against fa 18,f15,f21 , even f35 ( specs,cost,tot ). I think usa can't just leave this deal in this present economic situation. They have lot to share.

Firstly, ToT. There will be no ToT for F35. Not even local assembly. We will not even get the codes to integrate any weapons. All data will go to US. So in those terms, F35 is at the bottom. Rest all are practically equal. Though France has a much better track record of ToT. But on paper, I think everyone will offer equal terms.

Price wise, Rafale has beaten F18, which is considered to be the cheapest than F35 or F15. F21 might be cheaper, but even LM India chief has refused to say whether that is definitely the case or not. So Rafale is going to be the cheapest or the second cheapest for sure.

Coming to technology. F16, on which F21 is based, and F18 lost to Rafale in MMRCA. F15 is an unknown variable. I hope it does have some good t ch, And t has failed to attract foreign clients in recent times and has an inferior air to air weapons package.

But this is also the category where F35 is heads and shoulders above anyone and anything else. Currently, no fighter in the world is Ben comes close to F35 in terms of pure performance (bar F22). Rafale, F15 or anything else won’t even be able to touch it in the sky.

 

[Akshat]

It would take a miracle for USA to export F-35 to us in the current circumstances.

First option is we discard S-400 and go with a limited combination of Patriot SAM and THAAD which should be enough to appease USA, so we can get the F-35. We need to speed up the ABM defenses we are developing to fill-up the remaining gaps. No need to mention the extraordinary costs involved in this .

Second option is we go for the SU-57 which though not as advanced as F-35 should be enough to counter J-20 / J-31 and should give us enough time till AMCA is inducted in enough numbers.

Su57 is not able to counter anything. IAF rejected it, remember? So did China. And even Russia cancelled most of the orders. Not worth the money.

 

[Mandar Sawant]

They have much more urgent and huge requirements of armata tanks for the war and still havent sorted that out yet! I feel if we have to gamble on russians sorting out the supply chain issues in 6 years and produce su57s in large numbers. I would rather bet on south korea getting their near stealth aircraft out.

If thats true then i fear we have no other option left china has us by the balls they might have succesful infiltrated hal and drdo and purposefully delaying amca and tejas mk2 only option left is buy rafale

 

[Akshat]

That was Taiwan this is India, and please don't tell me that the French can deliver make in India Rafales before 2035...Whatever we end up with is not coming before 2032-2025, unless someone can give us fly by jets...

Those jets were made in US. And they won’t be coming till 2027. India will be even lower on priority list as US has a written law that states that US should provide them with weapons to defend against China. If they can’t get it then we can’t either.

Moreover, do remember that nothing called F21 is flying today. So when we do sign the order, we will be asked to pay up, then a prototype will be manufactured and tested, then they will create a facility to make it and then deliver it. So no planes can come at least for 8-10 years. Not even in fly away conditions.
As for Rafale, we can get ready to fly planes in 3 years flat. That will anyways be what we will get for the first 15%. Then the remaining will start after 5 years from contract signing. Made in India. So assuming we sign the deal today, no F21 till at least 2031. Rafale though will come in 2027, with made in India Rafale by 2029.

 

[ConcernedCitizen]

If thats true then i fear we have no other option left china has us by the balls they might have succesful infiltrated hal and drdo and purposefully delaying amca and tejas mk2 only option left is buy rafale

Not necessarily! I think there are always more solutions than problems. Maybe make a tejas mk1b which has everything same as tejas mk1a except for stealth airframe. Sort of like f117 night hawk (i believe skunk works make it in a year by pretty much just modifying the airframe of a f16). Or we can use hlft42 airframe with al31 engines(independent supply chain from ge 404 or 414s) and enough frontal stealth that they can get close enough to chinese defense headqurters or supply nodes to launch hypersonic missiles from. Or use the burgeoning private space industry to produce monstrous amounts of rockets. Ultimately we need enough hard power to deter a war! Perhaps this crunch is a good thing which forces all the stakeholders to get their heads out of the clouds and think of practical solutions that we can sustainable produce and field. Of course there is always outright purchase or f35s ( i think when push comes to shove even US wouldnt want us to caputulate to the chinese and make political concessions)

 

[Blr-tstr]

Folks here are talking about the need to get 5th generation because pakistan might acquire it. Then what about the threat posed by China which already possess it ? Every one forgets it conveniently. If we can fight off china threat using Rafael then we can fight off their export variant using the same.

AMCA is the priority and only thing the import army is going to get. Arms lobby can forget about it.

 

[desigandu]

Those jets were made in US. And they won’t be coming till 2027. India will be even lower on priority list as US has a written law that states that US should provide them with weapons to defend against China. If they can’t get it then we can’t either.

Moreover, do remember that nothing called F21 is flying today. So when we do sign the order, we will be asked to pay up, then a prototype will be manufactured and tested, then they will create a facility to make it and then deliver it. So no planes can come at least for 8-10 years. Not even in fly away conditions.
As for Rafale, we can get ready to fly planes in 3 years flat. That will anyways be what we will get for the first 15%. Then the remaining will start after 5 years from contract signing. Made in India. So assuming we sign the deal today, no F21 till at least 2031. Rafale though will come in 2027, with made in India Rafale by 2029.

there is some logic to what you say, but given Dassault backlogs there is no way it can deliver Rafales to India by 2027 (fly away) and 2029 (made in India) - impossible...

Hope I am wrong but unlikely...Also the big question is Rafales total cost, local ecosystem, TOT etc - very complicated...

Let us wait and see what happens...

 

[Bharat007]

I think Bharat should formally behind closed doors engage with the US to get at least 50 F-35s, in fly a way condition before 2030 and work with them in conditions needed for the same. We can isolate these planes from S-400s and also keep them in place to counter China primarily, while accelerating AMCA which is unlikely to come in before 2035, and Tejas Mk-2, which is also likely only by 2030 - leaving large gaps for IAF.

If we either cancel MRFA and repurpose that for F-35s in a G2G, or do both Rafales (only if the french make it in India with substantial TOT and local supplier ecosystem at a reasonable cost) as planned but also F-35s, which may get expensive with a spend of say $50B over 10 years, doable but expensive. Leasing say 25 F-35 jets for 10 years before AMCA arrives could also be an option. Buying F-35s with spares, training, weapons, maintenance could be $250-300m per jet comparable to the Rafales, but of course more expensive to maintain and operate due to their advanced nature.

F-35s are the best stealth jets in the world (barring F-22, which are unavailable for exports) and already produced over 1000…Bharat is not Turkey and i think it is just a matter of time before we acquire the F-35s, as we don’t have my viable alternatives in the short term…

If so, then India will be compelled to sacrifice some policies in return.

* S400 will be gone
* India, either have to choose F16 @ F21 or F16.
* Might even ask India to shift away from NAM.
* Might even ask India to move away from Russia on some key issues.

 

[desigandu]

If so, then India will be compelled to sacrifice some policies in return.

* S400 will be gone
* India, either have to choose F16 @ F21 or F16.
* Might even ask India to shift away from NAM.
* Might even ask India to move away from Russia on some key issues.

Yes, those are the risks...So what do you suggest Bharat does??? Viable options only please...

 

[Bharat007]

Yes, those are the risks...So what do you suggest Bharat does??? Viable options only please...

I rest the case on GoI. We are caught between the devil and deep sea. Myself can do nothing except for giving opinions.

 

[sunilanalysis]

American harassment via freedom of expression would be equally worse as china and pak.

 

[NSR]

Get real and put your feet on ground.

USA will not sell its F35 until Russian S-400s are gone for good.
America is afraid of losing its secrets through S-400 radar scan data which would jeopardize their entire Airforce posture.
That is one of the reasons why USA kicked out Turkey from F35 program.

Buying Russian S57 will incur sanctions through the USA CAATSA legislation.

So India is between a rock and hard place.
India must develop its own 5th generation fighter at WARP speed.