Trump decides to boost arms sales to India, including F-35 fighters

Today (February 14, Vietnam time), at a press conference at the White House with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington will step up arms sales to New Delhi, including the state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jet.

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a press conference at the White House on February 14 (Vietnam time)

"We will increase military sales to India by many billions of dollars. We also pave the way for India to receive the F-35 stealth fighter jet," Reuters quoted US President Donald Trump as saying on February 14.

The White House did not provide a specific time frame, but foreign arms sales typically take years to complete, especially for advanced fighter jets like the F-35.

At the press conference, President Trump also said that the two countries reached a trade agreement, in which India will increase imports of US oil and gas to reduce the trade deficit between the two countries.

According to Mr. Trump, Washington and New Delhi will cooperate in efforts to respond to what he called "the threat from radical Islamic terrorism".

Lockheed Martin, the military contractor that builds the F-35 fighter jet, has not commented on plans to sell the fifth-generation fighter jet to India.

Foreign military sales of weapons like the F-35 fighter jet are classified as government -to- government deals, in which the Pentagon acts as an intermediary between defense contractors and foreign governments .

India has purchased more than $20 billion worth of military products from the United States since 2008. Last year, India agreed to buy 31 MQ-9B SeaGuardian and SkyGuardian drones from its American counterpart after more than six years of consideration and evaluation.

According to the US Congressional Research Service, New Delhi plans to spend more than $200 billion over the next decade on military modernization.

Russia, meanwhile, has been India’s main arms supplier for decades, including fighter jets. But the war in Ukraine has threatened its ability to export weapons, forcing New Delhi to seek supplies from the West.

On February 11, there was information that Russia offered to sell fifth-generation fighter Sukhoi Su-57 to the Indian Air Force.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ong-trump-quyet-dinh-day-manh-ban-vu-khi-cho-an-do-bao-gom-tiem-kich-f-35-185250214075925451.htm