U.S. President Donald Trump has announced an increase in arms sales to India. In addition to other military equipment, the latest F-35 stealth fighter jets will also be sold, according to his statement.
At a press conference at the White House in Washington, Trump said, “We are going to increase arms sales to India by hundreds of billions of dollars. Additionally, we are paving the way for supplying F-35 stealth fighter jets to India.”
However, Trump did not mention any specific timeline for when India would receive the F-35 fighter jets. Notably, the F-35 is one of the world’s most advanced stealth fighter jets, and it usually takes several years to manufacture.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington yesterday, Thursday, to meet and hold discussions with President Donald Trump. This is Modi’s first visit to Washington since Trump took office. The press conference where Trump made this statement was a joint briefing following their meeting, with Modi also present.
During the press conference, Trump further stated that India and the United States are working on a new agreement beyond arms sales to address the trade deficit between the two countries. Under this agreement, the U.S. will supply crude oil and natural gas to India. Additionally, Trump mentioned that both countries will collaborate in combating “Islamic terrorism and related threats.”
However, despite Trump’s expectation for swift arms sales to India, New Delhi has indicated that such a process is unlikely to happen quickly. Indian Foreign Ministry Secretary Vikram Misri stated in a briefing on Thursday that India’s arms procurement process from foreign sources is extensive and time-consuming. He explained that the process involves soliciting proposals from suppliers and making a decision after thorough evaluation.
When journalists asked Vikram Misri about the potential timeline for India to acquire the F-35 stealth fighter jets, he responded by explaining India’s foreign arms procurement process. He stated, “The process for acquiring these advanced fighter jets has not yet begun in India, as it is still at the proposal stage.”