‘You don’t even let us go near F-35s’: IAF chief takes swipe at US over fighter jet ‘sale’
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh while sharing platform with PACAF commander clarifies that US has made no official offer to sell the stealth fighter jets to India yet
Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Saturday (October 10) took a humorous dig at the US, stating that America doesn’t even let Indian officials near its F-35 aircraft while clarifying to the media that the US has made no official offer to sell the fifth-generation stealth fighter jets to India.
Singh took the swipe while sharing the dais with the Commander of the US Air Force's Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), General Kevin Schneider, on the sidelines of the concluding ceremony of the multinational air exercise Tarang Shakti-2026 in Jodhpur.
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"Your people don't even let us go near the aircraft, and you are talking about selling it to us," he said.
The F-35 is considered the most advanced and lethal fighter jet in the world.
Six US F-35 Lightning II fighter jets and more than 200 airmen participated in the Tarang Shakti exercise for the first time.
‘No decision on Su-57 aircraft yet’
The IAF chief also addressed the possibility of India acquiring Russia's fifth-generation Su-57 fighter aircraft. He said that it has come to their notice that Russia has made an offer but clarified that "no decision has been made" regarding whether the aircraft needs to be evaluated or not.
"Once the decision is conveyed to us (by the government), we will evaluate how well it (Su-57) meets our requirements," he said.
Self-reliance vision
The remarks come as India continues to assess its future combat aircraft requirements and pursue the development of its own fifth-generation fighter aircraft under its long-term plans to strengthen self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
Also read: Why stealth fighter F-35 can become a $2 trillion problem for India
Tarang Shakti-2026 brought together the Indian Air Force and participating foreign air forces from eight nations, including India, providing a platform for operational cooperation and the exchange of professional experience.