The US on Wednesday offered India partnership in the development of the world’s most advanced flying machine, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, months after losing the lucrative $10 billion contract for 126 war planes.
Acknowledging that India’s recent decision not to opt for America’s F-16 and F-18 fighters was a “setback”, the Pentagon said it is still interested in selling its top notch fighters to India.
“Despite this setback, we believe US aircraft, such as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), to be the best in the world,” the Pentagon said in a nine-page report to the Congress.
“Should India indicate interest in the JSF, the United States would be prepared to provide information on the Joint Strike Fighter and its requirements (infrastructure, security, etc) to support India’s future planning,” the Pentagon said in a one-of-its kind report on India submitted to the US Congress.
The F-35 is a fifth generation all-stealth fighter being developed by US armament giant Lockheed Martin in a joint consortium with eight other countries — the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Australia.