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Business Standard, 15th Feb 18
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' F5 Y: j8 Y3 hIn what would be a huge capability jump, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is increasingly interested in procuring the American F-35 Lightning II for its depleting fighter fleet.
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Business Standard learns the IAF top brass is formally requesting for a classified briefing by the F-35’s prime builder, Lockheed Martin, on the capabilities of the sophisticated, fifth-generation fighter developed under the US Joint Strike Fighter programme.: M) Y& V; l* j" `0 X
' ?+ T' `3 d3 c) f7 U mThe US government has not formally offered the F-35 to India. A classified briefing would require formal clearance from the US Department of Defence (the Pentagon) and the State Department. The grant of such a clearance would be an important first step towards permitting the sale of F-35s to India.
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( z( q e5 Z$ K; s" K0 I8 @It is learnt the IAF wants to procure 126 of the variant called F-35A: |7 v m" V+ P$ b
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; |1 Y- o, |+ x4 P' B( r1 dThe F-35’s affordability is also attractive for New Delhi. In contrast to the bare-bones price of $115 million for each Rafale fighter (with India-specific enhancements, spares, logistics and weapons all extra), the F-35A cost customers $94.6 million last February. Lockheed Martin says it will reduce the cost to $80 million by 2020./ T* u- G8 x( k, U7 z) N
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" ^" V- k) O8 t' t6 VSources close to the Pentagon say India would not be sold the F-35 as long as it is partnering Russia in the FGFA co-development project. That is because Washington would guard against the leakage of F-35 technology into the FGFA.
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5 V3 F/ N1 x3 {# a4 {$ _8 aSenior officers say the IAF is not enthused about the FGFA project. They point out the F-35 is further advanced in development and has already entered service with the USAF and six-seven air forces of American allies.
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