U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday (local time) that the United States would sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to India, allowing the country to join an exclusive group of nations equipped with advanced stealth aircraft.
“Starting this year, we will significantly increase military sales to India, amounting to billions of dollars. Additionally, we are setting the stage to eventually provide India with F-35 stealth fighters,” Trump stated during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House.
However, the sale could be complicated by India’s 2018 decision to acquire Russia’s S-400 missile defense system. The U.S. had previously terminated its F-35 co-production agreement with Turkey over concerns that purchasing the S-400 would expose critical fighter jet technology to Russia.
“In our meeting today, the prime minister and I reaffirmed that strong cooperation between the United States, India, Australia, and Japan is essential for maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” Trump added.
While Trump did not specify a timeline for the potential deal, military sales involving advanced technology, such as the F-35, typically take years to finalize, according to Reuters.
At the press conference, Trump also announced an agreement under which India would import more U.S. oil and gas, aiming to reduce the trade imbalance between the two nations. Additionally, he emphasized Washington and New Delhi’s joint efforts to combat what he described as “the threat of radical Islamic terrorism.”
Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35, has not yet commented on Trump’s statement regarding potential sales to India. Foreign military sales of F-35s are typically conducted as government-to-government transactions, with the Pentagon acting as an intermediary between defense contractors and foreign buyers.
Since 2008, India has purchased over $20 billion in U.S. defense products. Last year, it agreed to acquire 31 MQ-9B SeaGuardian and SkyGuardian drones after more than six years of discussions. The U.S. Congressional Research Service estimates that India will spend over $200 billion in the next decade to modernize its military.
Lockheed Martin currently produces three variants of the F-35 for the U.S. military and allied nations, including the UK, Australia, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Belgium.
Trump’s announcement also signals continued confidence in the F-35 program, the most expensive weapons system in U.S. history. The aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, has faced criticism from figures like billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump adviser.
In a move to strengthen U.S.-India defense ties, the Biden administration approved nearly $4 billion in military sales last year, including attack drones, Hellfire missiles, and laser-guided bombs, as part of ongoing efforts to reduce India’s reliance on Russian defense systems.
Joining Trump’s meeting with Modi was SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has been actively working alongside Trump to reform the U.S. bureaucracy. Musk also met privately with Modi earlier in the day, raising questions about whether the meeting was official or business-related.
