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The United States government is reportedly preparing to make a formal proposal to India for the sale of Lockheed Martin's F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets in June 2025. This move signals a potentially significant enhancement of India's air power and its strategic alignment with the U.S.
This development follows earlier statements from U.S. officials. In February 2025, then-U.S. President Donald Trump, during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, indicated plans to increase military sales to India, specifically mentioning the F-35.
This intention was further confirmed by Vice President JD Vance during his visit to India in April 2025, highlighting a strong American interest in bringing India into the select group of countries operating the advanced fighter.
The proposed sale is expected to be structured as a government-to-government (G2G) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement. This pathway could allow for deliveries to commence as early as late 2027, notably bypassing India’s ongoing Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program, which aims to locally manufacture 114 jets with technology transfer.
The F-35A is the conventional take-off and landing version of the Joint Strike Fighter. It is a fifth-generation multirole aircraft designed for a range of missions including air superiority, ground attack, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).
Its capabilities are enhanced by advanced radar-absorbing materials, a design that minimizes its radar signature, and sophisticated sensor systems like the AN/APG-81 AESA radar, offering superior stealth and interoperability with allied forces.
The aircraft was showcased at the Aero India exhibitions in Bengaluru in 2023 and 2025, where its agility and advanced systems reportedly impressed Indian military observers.
The U.S. offer is expected to include a specialised "Adir-type configuration" for India. This would involve integrating BNET software-defined radios and indigenous Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems, similar to the F-35I "Adir" variant flown by Israel, which can operate without direct reliance on U.S. mission data servers.
A G2G FMS deal, managed by the Pentagon, typically offers standardised pricing and delivery conditions comparable to those for the U.S. military, potentially resulting in lower costs than direct commercial purchases.
This approach is anticipated to enable quicker delivery, with the first F-35As possibly arriving by late 2027. Such a timeline would address the Indian Air Force's (IAF) pressing requirement to counter China's expanding fleet of J-20 and J-35 stealth fighters, as well as Pakistan's anticipated acquisition of J-35A jets around 2028–2029.
The U.S. initiative to supply F-35s to India is consistent with broader American geopolitical objectives, particularly aimed at balancing China's growing military influence in the Indo-Pacific region. India's air force currently faces a reduction in its fighter squadron strength, reportedly down to 31 from an authorised 42.
According to the ISS Military Balance, between 2014 and 2024, China significantly increased its fighter aircraft numbers by 435, while India’s fleet decreased by 151. The IAF’s current inventory relies heavily on older Russian aircraft like the Su-30 MKI and MiG-29.
Delays in indigenous projects, such as the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) which is not expected to be operational before 2034, further highlight the need for advanced fighter jets.
The announcements by President Donald Trump and Vice President Vance reflect a U.S. strategy to deepen defence cooperation with India, potentially taking advantage of Russia's diminished capacity as an arms supplier due to international sanctions and the conflict in Ukraine.
India has already procured U.S. defence equipment worth over $20 billion since 2008, including a recent deal for 31 MQ-9B drones in 2024. The nation is projected to invest approximately $200 billion in military modernization over the coming decade.
An F-35 deal would place India alongside key U.S. allies such as NATO members, Israel, Japan, and Australia, strengthening its strategic ties with Washington while also helping to address trade imbalances through increased Indian imports of American oil and gas.
India's existing MRFA program, designed to acquire 114 multirole combat aircraft with substantial technology transfer and local manufacturing, has attracted several international contenders. These include Dassault's Rafale, Boeing's F-15EX, Lockheed Martin's F-21 (a variant of the F-16), and Sukhoi's Su-35. The Rafale is often considered a leading candidate due to the IAF's existing fleet of 36 such aircraft.
The MRFA initiative strongly emphasises the "Make in India" policy, aiming to boost the domestic defence manufacturing sector through partnerships with companies like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
However, the potential F-35A deal would operate outside this framework, involving a direct FMS purchase without technology transfer. This could affect India’s ability to integrate its own systems or perform upgrades independently, a challenge previously noted with the IAF's Jaguar fleet.
The FMS route offers the significant advantages of speed and predictability, with deliveries potentially starting in 2027, compared to the MRFA tender process which has faced delays.
Nevertheless, this path also presents challenges. The F-35A's unit cost is approximately $82.5 million (flyaway), with export prices generally ranging between $100 million and $110 million, excluding weaponry and logistical support.
A fleet of 40 to 50 F-35s, as has been speculated, could amount to an initial outlay of $4 billion to $5.5 billion. Lifecycle costs, covering operations and maintenance over several decades, could be substantially higher, potentially exceeding $100 billion, as estimated for Canada's planned fleet of 88 F-35s.
Furthermore, U.S. export controls mandate strict end-user agreements to protect sensitive technology. This is a particular point of attention given India's operation of Russian S-400 air defence systems, a factor that led to Turkey's removal from the F-35 program.
Several obstacles could also complicate the F-35 offer. India's longstanding defence relationship with Russia, which includes the S-400 systems and the Su-30 MKI fighters, raises concerns in the U.S. regarding technology security. There are worries about potential F-35 data exposure to Russia, possibly through mechanisms like the BRICS group.
Standard F-35 operations typically require daily activation codes from the U.S., with Israel's F-35I "Adir" being a notable exception that operates with greater autonomy—a level of independence India might desire but may find difficult to fully achieve.
Additionally, reported maintenance issues with the F-35, including average repair times of 141 days and a high critical failure rate noted in a 2024 Pentagon report, could pose logistical challenges for the IAF, especially without local production capabilities.
Geopolitically, while the deal aligns with U.S. objectives to counter China, India's traditional stance of strategic autonomy, its neutral position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and its strong emphasis on "Make in India" for defence procurement could influence its decision.
As an alternative, Russia has reportedly offered to co-produce its Su-57 Felon stealth fighter in India with full technology transfer. While this aligns more closely with India's indigenisation goals, the Su-57's limited combat deployment and reportedly larger radar cross-section may make it a less attractive option for the IAF when compared to the combat-proven F-35.
