India may take Rafale route to buy US' F35 fighter jets: Govt likely to opt for limited numbers; may require special monitoring clauses
The procurement of fifth-generation fighter jets from the US could follow key aspects of India's acquisition of Rafale jets from France, namely that it is likely to be a government-to-government deal and will be seen as a stop-gap arrangement till the development of indigenous jets under Advanced Multirole Combat Aircraft
Negotiations to acquire F35 jets, mentioned by President Donald Trump after his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will start shortly and are likely to be complicated given the safeguards the US will require to protect high-end technology onboard the jets.
India could go in for a limited number of F35 fighter jets, given the high cost of not just acquisition but also maintaining and operating the aircraft. This could be similar numbers to the two squadrons (36 aircraft) of French-origin Rafale fighters that are in operation with the Air Force.
Like the Rafale deal, the F35 acquisition will also follow the government-to-government mode, which guarantees deliveries and pricing at par with the US armed forces. However, unlike the Rafales, F35s may require a stringent end-user monitoring protocol. This could mean the US keeping a close watch on jets to ensure that the personnel of other nations like Russia do not get access to them.
A key objection of the Pentagon to the sale of the fifth-generation jets to India in the past was the presence of Russian-origin S400 air defence systems. The US jets are designed to evade advanced Russian air defence systems and no country in the world operates both of these systems simultaneously. A key American concern is that the S400 should not be finetuned to detect and engage the advanced combat aircraft.
It is still unclear what assurances or safeguards can be kept in place to separate the two systems. Indian Navy, which is looking to acquire 26 aircraft carrier borne fighter aircraft, with negotiations with France in advanced stages, normally operates beyond the range of deployed S400 systems.
F 35s are also likely to be pitched as a stop gap arrangement. At present, the first of the AMCA jets are not expected to enter service before 2036, a deadline that is likely to be extended. The purchase of French Rafale Marine aircraft was pitched as a stop-gap arrangement till the development of indigenous Twin Engine Deck Based Fighters.
