Trump announces that the US will increase its military sales to India and eventually provide F-35 Jets
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that the United States would increase its military sales to India beginning in 2025. It will also eventually provide F-35 jet fighters.
"We will increase military sales to India many billions dollars." Trump told reporters that we're also clearing the path to eventually provide India with F-35 stealth aircraft.
Trump didn't provide a timetable, but it usually takes years to complete foreign military sales. This is especially true for cutting-edge technologies like the stealthy F-35.
Trump said that the agreement between India and the United States included India importing more U.S. gas and oil to reduce the trade deficit.
Trump said Washington and New Delhi would work together to combat what he called the "threat of radical Islamic terrorists."
Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35 jets, has not commented on Trump's intentions to sell these jets to India.
Foreign military sales like those of the F-35 are considered government-to-government deals where the Pentagon acts as an intermediary between the defense contractor and a foreign government.
Since 2008, India has purchased more than 20 billion dollars worth of U.S. Defense products. India bought 31 MQ-9B SeaGuardian or SkyGuardian Drones last year after a six-year long deliberation.
According to the U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS), New Delhi will spend more than 200 billion dollars over the next ten years to modernize its army.
Lockheed produces three new models of warplanes to be used by the U.S. Military and its allies, including Britain, Australia and other countries such as Italy, Turkey, Norway and the Netherlands.
India has been the largest arms importer in the world for decades. Its fighter jets form part of the Indian military fleet. Moscow's export capacity has been hampered by the conflict in Ukraine in recent years, which makes New Delhi look to the west.
A Russian and Indian official announced on Tuesday that Russia had offered to build its fifth-generation stealth jet fighter Sukhoi Su-57 for the Indian Air Force in India. Moscow is looking to maintain strong relations with New Delhi. (Reporting and writing by Jarrett Renshaw; Nandita BOSE, Mike Stone, Ismail Shakil. Editing by Jamie Freed.)
(source: Reuters)
