US to provide F-35 stealth fighter planes to India; Trump makes big announcement during meeting with PM Modi

synopsis

Washington DC: In a significant announcement, US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that the United States will be increasing its military sales to India by billions of dollars and his administration is paving the way to provide India with F35 Stealth fighters.

"Starting this year, we will be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars. We are also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F35, Stealth fighters," Trump said in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their bilateral talks.

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, the most widely-deployed fifth-generation fighter, took part in the 15th edition of Aero India, Asia's biggest aerospace and defence exhibition, at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru earlier this month.

The fighter jet integrates advanced stealth, unparalleled situational awareness and networked combat capabilities.

Earlier in the day, US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The discussions touched upon ways to further deepen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, with a focus on strategic technologies, as well as defense industrial cooperation and civil nuclear energy with an emphasis on small modular reactors, and counterterrorism.
They also discussed international, and regional issues of mutual interest.

At the Aero India, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), for the first time, showcased a full-scale model of India's first 5.5 Gen stealth aircraft Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) equipped with cutting-edge features.

The Cabinet Committee on Security had in March last year cleared the project to design and develop the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft fifth generation stealth fighter jet project to be undertaken by the DRDO.

Under the around Rs 15,000 crore project, Defence Research and Development Organisation's Aeronautical Development Agency would develop the stealth fighter jet and its technologies in partnership with various private and public sector agencies and build around five prototypes in around five years.

"There is a process by which platforms are acquired. There is in most cases a request for proposals that floated. There are responses to those, which are evaluated. I don't think with regards to the acquisition of advanced aviation platforms by India has started," India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri told reporters following Modi-Trump meeting at the White House. 

"So, this is a currently something at the stage of proposal. Don't think the formal process has started," he added.