US F-35 STEALTH FIGHTER PERFORMS AT INDIAN AIR SHOW – Trump says the US is to eventually provide F35s to India
U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States will increase military sales to India starting in 2025 and will eventually provide F-35 fighter jets.
Trump did not provide a timeline, but foreign military sales, especially for cutting-edge technology like the stealthy F-35 jet, typically take years to work through.
Addressing a joint news conference after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trump also said the countries had struck an agreement that includes India importing more U.S. oil and gas to shrink the trade deficit between the two countries.
Lockheed Martin, which makes the F-35 jet, said that any discussions about the sale of the F-35 to India would take place at the government-to-government level.
India has agreed to buy more than $20 billion of U.S. defence products since 2008. Last year, India agreed to buy 31 MQ-9B SeaGuardian and SkyGuardian drones after deliberations that lasted more than six years.
