In a significant boost to defence cooperation between the United States and India, President Donald Trump announced his administration’s willingness to sell F-35 fighter jets to India, America’s most advanced military aircraft.

The offer came during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington on February 13, as part of broader discussions on trade and security cooperation.

But what exactly is the F-35, and why is this offer significant?

A ‘next-generation’ fighter

The F-35 Lightning II is, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the world’s most advanced fighter jet, combining stealth technology with supersonic speed and highly sophisticated combat capabilities.

According to product documentation, the “Joint Strike Fighter” represents the pinnacle of American military aviation technology and is described as the “quarterback of the fighting force”.

Lockheed adds that the jet has logged over 983,000 flight hours, with over 1,110 deliveries made to 20 operating nations.

What makes the F-35 special is its “5th Generation” capability: a combination of radar-evading stealth technology, advanced sensors, information fusion, and network connectivity.

The aircraft can operate without being detected at supersonic speeds, making it particularly valuable in modern warfare scenarios.

Why India wants it

India currently relies on an ageing fleet of Russian fighter jets and a small number of French-made Rafale aircraft. Access to F-35s would represent a significant upgrade to India’s air force capabilities, which has traditionally relied heavily on Russian equipment.

On February 27, 2019, a day after Indian aircraft violated the Line of Control and performed strikes from Pakistani airspace, two Indian Air Force planes were shot down by Pakistan, with an Indian pilot captured.

Then-director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Asif Ghafoor confirmed the development on Twitter (now X), writing: “[The] PAF shot down two Indian aircraft inside Pakistani airspace. One of the aircraft fell inside AJ&K (Azad Jammu and Kashmir) while [the] other fell inside IoK (Indian-occupied Kashmir). One Indian pilot [was] arrested by troops on [the] ground while two in the area.”

According to the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad think tank, one of the Indian aircraft shot down was a MiG-21 Bison, the most common jet-powered military aircraft, as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

India is the largest operator of the MiG-21, with Rahul Bedi writing for The Wire in 2023 that since 1963, India inducted around 870 variants of the plane. As of 2023, only 40 aircraft remain in active service, with the last two squadrons to be phased out this year.

Aside from the plane’s ageing design, it has been plagued by crashes and a poor safety record. Bedi wrote that over 500 MiG-21s have crashed killing over 170 pilots. The incidents “led to the fighters being ignominiously dubbed by the media as ‘flying coffins’ and ‘widowmakers’”, he wrote.

The potential acquisition would also strengthen India’s position in the Indo-Pacific region, where it faces an increasingly assertive China. By 2025, there will be more than 300 F-35s operating in the Indo-Pacific region, according to Lockheed Martin data.

The US has expressed interest in selling the jets to India since as far back as 2011. The US Defence Department, in a report to Congress on US-India security cooperation, said if New Delhi indicated an interest in Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Pentagon would be willing to provide information on the aircraft’s security and infrastructure requirements.

Technical specifications

The F-35A, the variant that is sold the most, boasts:

• Maximum speed: Mach 1.6
• Combat radius: More than 590 nautical miles
• Weapons payload: 18,000 pounds
• Advanced stealth technology
• Sophisticated sensor suite and combat systems

The exclusive club

If the deal moves forward, India will join an elite group of nations authorised to purchase the F-35. Current operators include US military services, Nato allies, close partners like Israel and Japan and select nations like Australia and South Korea.

According to Lockheed Martin, the first F-35 was delivered to the US in July 2011, with the first international delivery of the aircraft being to the United Kingdom the next year.

The jet first saw combat in 2018 in Israel, which used modified versions of the plane with the moniker ‘Adir’. According to Defense News, which cited Haaretz, the Israeli military tweeted that it was the first nation to use the F-35 in an operational capacity.

“The Adir planes are already operational and flying in operational missions,” the tweet said, quoting Israel Air Force head Major General Amikam Norkin. “We are the first in the world to use the F-35 in operational activity.”

Most recently, on February 4, Norwegian F-35s intercepted a flight of Russian aircraft near northern Norway.

Nato reported that the F-35s “quickly located and identified the Russian aircraft”, adding that the Joint Strike Fighter’s “advanced capabilities allowed them to gather important information and ensure that the Russian aircraft did not violate Nato airspace”.

Regional implications

Pakistan has expressed deep concern about the potential F-35 sale to India. The Foreign Office spokesperson, Shafqat Ali Khan, warned that such transfers could “accentuate military imbalances in the region and undermine strategic stability”.

He urged “international partners” to adopt “a holistic and objective view of the issues of peace and security in South Asia” and avoid taking “one-sided positions divorced from ground realities”.

Challenges ahead

Despite the bonhomie on display at the White House, the path to India acquiring F-35s is complex, as was evident by the measured tones that Indian officials demonstrated when commenting on the potential purchases.

Should India pursue acquiring the aircraft, it will need to consider the costs of owning and operating the F-35.

According to the Centre for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, the cost-per-unit of an F-35 Lightning II exceeds $100 million. In 2021, The F-35A variant, with conventional takeoff and landing, cost $110.3m; the F-35B, with STOVL (Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing) capabilities, cost $135.8m; the F-35C, designed for use with aircraft carriers, cost $117.3m.

These costs included depot maintenance, ground support and spare parts, the Centre said.

Additionally, John A Tirpak wrote for Air and Space Forces Magazine in 2020 that the F-35 costs $35,000 per flight hour to operate, though he noted that the F-35 Joint Programme Office aims to lower these costs to $25,000 per hour by this year.

Over its lifetime, the aircraft has cost the US Defence Department over $1 trillion to operate, according to an April 2024 report from the US Government Accountability Office.

Additionally, the Centre for Arms Control warned in a 2021 datasheet that there is a significant risk of injury to pilots who eject from the aircraft.

“Tests in July and August of 2015 demonstrated a 23 per cent probability of death and a 100pc probability of neck injury upon ejection for pilots weighing between 136 and 165 pounds, and a 98pc probability of death for pilots under 136 pounds,” the data read.

The Centre added that modifications to the ejection seat “allegedly” lowered the risks, but cited a 2017 internal report by the US Air Force warning that a dozen pilots could be killed by flaws in the ejector seats.

Despite its advanced avionics, the F-35 has a documented history of crashes, with one crashing in Alaska as recently as January 29, the latest of 11 reported crashes, according to Anadolu.

According to a report released last year by the US Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, the F-35 faced ongoing challenges with reliability, maintainability, and availability, with aircraft being ready for missions just 51pc of the time, falling short of the targeted 65pc goal.

“The operational suitability of the F-35 fleet remains below service expectations and requirements,” the report, released in January 2024, said.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has noted that no formal process has yet begun, characterising the F-35 deal as merely “a proposal at this point”. This caution reflects the considerable groundwork still needed before any potential sale could move forward.

Header image: An F-35 fighter jet taxis after landing during the “Aero India 2025” air show at the Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru on February 11. — Reuters/File