India rules out F-35s as defense ties with US face new turbulence

India has rejected a US push to sell it F-35 stealth fighters, dealing a blow to defense ties just as President Donald Trump announced new tariffs and publicly criticized New Delhi’s close ties with Russia.

Despite its long-standing reliance on Russian arms, India has been spared US sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Washington has consistently granted New Delhi waivers, acknowledging India’s key role in countering Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.

This balancing act has allowed India to deepen defense cooperation with the US without abandoning its Russian ties. In recent years, India has acquired several major US platforms, including AH-64E Apaches, CH-47 Chinooks, P-8I Poseidons, and MQ-9B drones.

In February 2025, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Washington, President Trump made headlines by announcing that the US would “increase military sales to India” and “clear the way” for potential F-35 deliveries, a first in the history of US-India defense relations.

The timing appeared strategic: India was preparing to launch its Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) tender, a long-delayed program to procure 114 new combat aircraft to bolster the understrength Indian Air Force (IAF).

Competing aircraft include:

Dassault Rafale,

Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-15EX Eagle II,

Lockheed Martin F-21 (a rebranded F-16 for India),

Saab Gripen E/F,

Eurofighter Typhoon,

Russia’s Su-35 and MiG-35.
But six months later, in July 2025, the diplomatic momentum reversed. On July 31, 2025, Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian imports, effective August 1, 2025. He accused India of maintaining “the highest tariffs in the world” and being “one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil,” even as global pressure mounts on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.

“We have a massive trade deficit with India,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia.”

India not interested in F-35s for now

Days later, Bloomberg reported that India had quietly informed Washington it was not interested in purchasing F-35s, despite US pressure. New Delhi stated it was more focused on partnerships involving joint development and local production, consistent with its “Make in India” and “Aatmanirbharta” (self-reliance) policies.

That focus explains India’s continued investment in indigenous fighter programs, notably the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). Officially launched in May 2025, the stealth jet is not expected to enter service before 2034, creating a near-term capability gap as regional tensions rise. Neighboring Pakistan, for instance, is reportedly preparing to acquire J-35 stealth fighters from China.

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Russia still in the picture

Despite India’s increasing defense diversification, Moscow continues to pitch advanced systems to New Delhi. At the Aero India 2025 show, Russia’s Rosoboronexport agency offered to locally produce the Su-57E Felon, the export variant of its fifth-generation stealth fighter.

Under the proposal, India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) would assemble the aircraft starting in 2026, integrating Indian-made systems such as the Virupaksha AESA radar, Astra air-to-air missiles, and Rudram anti-radiation weapons. The Indian government has yet to officially respond to the Su-57E offer.The post India rules out F-35s as defense ties with US face new turbulence appeared first on AeroTime.

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