Summary: India's longstanding defense relationship with Russia faces challenges, especially in light of supply chain disruptions due to the Russo-Ukraine conflict and India's delicate stance on the issue. A pivot towards acquiring the F-35 from the U.S. would mark a significant shift, highlighting India's urgency to modernize its military capabilities in response to regional pressures.

F-35 for India? 

Last year, two Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters were flown in India for the first time at the Aero India airshow. According to CBS, the appearance left spectators “awestruck by the fighter jet’s design and aerobatics.” Aside from impressing the crowd, the F-35’s appearance raised important questions about the future of the jet and the strategic partnership between the United States and India.

“Frankly, we have seen such high-level American participation [before],” said Manmohan Bahadur, a retired vice marshal of the Indian Air Force. “But geopolitically, things are a little different. China is a little more aggressive, so this is significant.”

The F-35’s appearance comes as India is intent on upgrading its fighter jet fleet to defend against bordering rivals like China and Pakistan.

“The United States, which is selective about which countries it sells the F-35 to, has not made it clear whether they have offered the jet to India,” CBS reported. “Nor has the Indian Air Force said anything official.”  

Bahadur was skeptical that India would purchase the F-35. “There is no doubt that [the F-35] is a very capable fighter jet, but I don’t think India would consider it as of now…certainly not in the near future because it has to fit our scheme of things, our current systems.”

India’s Russia Supply Dilemma

Yet, Rear Admiral Michael L. Baker said that New Delhi was in the “very early stages” of considering whether to purchase the F-35. If India were to purchase the F-35, it would represent a shift in geopolitical arms flow. For years, the Indians have been dependent upon the Russians (and, before 1991, the Soviets) for military hardware. Indeed, most of India’s air force, navy, and army equipment has been sourced from Russia. And in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, India resisted Western pressure to denounce Putin’s actions and impose sanctions. 

However, India has practical concerns over its arrangement with Russia, which is experiencing supply delays because of the Russo-Ukraine War and could slow down deliveries to India. As tensions grow between India and her neighbors, New Delhi is increasingly anxious to upgrade its military without delay. The United States seems keen to supplant Russia as India’s go-to military supplier. 

India and the United States

If Washington sold the F-35 to New Delhi, it would not be the two countries' first aerospace transaction. India already possesses the U.S.-made P-8 Poseidon and the AH-64 Apache. Lockheed Martin has spent years courting an Indian contract, not for the F-35, but for the F-21, an upgraded version of the F-16 that has been outfitted specifically for India’s needs. Everyone recognizes, no doubt, the strategic value of solidifying a relationship with India as a natural counter to Chinese influence, as well as the financial value in supplying the military of the world’s most populous nation.

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the U.S. Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

Image: U.S. Air Force.