Why India Won’t Buy the F-35 Stealth Fighter

Cost Might Be the F-35s Real Problem: India is not the first country that springs to mind when it comes to considering world military powers, but it lives in a dangerous neighborhood. Pakistan is the chief rival and China is always a threat. India has a huge tank force, some well-trained infantry, and a respectable navy.

But what about the Air Force? The flying branch could always use a shot in the arm and the United States has an answer. The F-35 Lightning II could add to the Indian fleet and give it the aerial combat power the nation needs to face down Pakistan and China.

Trump Makes Tries to Close a F-35 Sale

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington, DC in February and President Donald Trump had a surprise in store. Why don’t you buy the F-35, the Commander-In-Chief asked, putting Modi on the spot. The Indians had been considering stealth fighters from Russia and the American leader was alarmed Modi would tilt in the direction of Vladimir Putin.

After all, India was famously non-aligned during the Cold War and has bought military hardware from Russia before. However, India wants to build its own defense industrial base to have better self-reliance without the need to depend so much on Washington and Moscow for major end items.

India Needs New Fighter Jets in the Worst Way

India could use as many as 100 new airplanes, hopefully of the stealth variety so that would mean a large purchase of F-35s or Russian Su-57s. This would cost a substantial amount of money and may not be something that Modi would consider due to the price tag.

How about non-stealth warbirds? Sweden has JAS 39 Gripens that are popular with other developing countries. The Gripen is a capable fighter with excellent speed and agility, perfect for an air force that has pilots that are not known for being expert at flying fifth-generation airplanes.

Pakistan and China Forging Closer Military Ties

The other problem is a burgeoning relationship between Pakistan and China. This is frustrating to India as Pakistan is considering buying 40 J-35 stealth fighters from China. This would mean India would need stealth jets too to balance against Pakistan. That China sale may force Modi’s hand to decide soon. His military would likely have to shell out over $100 billion for the F-35 to include weapons, training, maintenance, and spare parts support.

Thus, India is in a bind if those J-35s go to Pakistan. China looks like it is trying to steal the American practice of “fighter plane diplomacy.” The United States has 19 partners operating the F-35 and it uses the Lightning II sales to cement better international relations. China can also play at that game and will likely remind India that it is the Americans who are engaging in a tariff war with the developing world – something Modi is quite aware of.

Putin’s Su-57 Looks Good to India Too

Then there are the Russians to consider. Vladimir Putin’s air force participated in the Aero India expo in Bangalore, where Russian Su-57 Felons flew for the crowd in February. There was an F-35 there too. Modi was assuredly impressed with both and realized he could probably get a better deal for the F-35 if he played like his air force was interested in the Russian radar-evading warbird.

Congress Party Says No to F-35s

Meanwhile, Modi’s political opposition in India thinks the F-35 is too expensive. These lawmakers believe that the shortage of air force squadrons in India can be better addressed with indigenously made fighters. The Congress party had this to say about the F-35.

“The F-35, which Elon Musk has described as “junk,” why is Narendra Modi hell-bent on buying it?” the party asked in a post on X. Congress claimed that the aircraft was pricey and expensive to keep in the air.

Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 Demonstration Team pilot and commander performs aerial maneuvers during the Wings Over Houston Airshow Oct. 18, 2019, in Houston, Texas. The show featured performances from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, Tora, Tora, Tora, and Oracle. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Alexander Cook)

Congress party members believe that the Indian Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft is a better stealth choice, even though it won’t be ready until the mid-2030s. It’s fine to pursue that project. India has the brain power in engineering and software to build the airplane, but it is taking too long to wait. That still leaves the conundrum of whether to buy the F-35 or the Su-57 now.

To make things more interesting, the French are making an offer to sell India 40 additional Dassault Rafales. This falls in line with a previous sale of 26 Rafale-Ms from the French for the Indian Navy. This purchase may make more sense for India until it can build the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. This will give India at least two more squadrons of fighters – more than the 31 they have now. The Indian air force is authorized 42.5 squadrons of warplanes.

The United States and Russia are disappointed with this news but are not likely to give up. India needs as many fighter jets as possible. The French deal could be the partial answer to Indian requirements. Trump and Putin may still pester Modi to make a choice, and the Indian leader can feel confident he will have the French fighters in the interim and perhaps see some homegrown stealth fighters in the next decade.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.