The recent statement by a United States Department of Defence official, that the US would be willing to discuss a possible sale of the F-35 Lightning II to India, or even consider bringing India into the ambitious programme as a partner, has generated a lot of attention in the Indian media. While this is not the first time the F-35 has been offered
to India, the timing of this fresh pitch is interesting. Coming six
months after the two American contenders vying for the lucrative Medium
Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contract -- the F-16 and F/A-18 -- failed to make the Indian Air Force (IAF) shortlist, and just days before the bids by EADS Cassidian and Dassault were opened,
many perceive this as an attempt by the US and Lockheed-Martin to work
themselves back into the equation.
Sections of the Indian news media –
both print and electronic – have called for the F-35's consideration in
the MMRCA tender itself (and some have called for an outright purchase) resulting in a new round of teeth-gnashing
over a topic that has stretched over a decade. In a column on LiveFist, my friend Aditya and I explain why we don't think the F-35 for India is a very good idea.
