The F35 deal: What is difference between India and Turkey?

US wants to "eventually" sell the F35 to India but the US blocked Turkey from buying and operating the F35 because Turkey operates Russian S400 missile system. So does India. So why?

In a recent press conference after meeting with Modi, Trump announced that India will eventually get the F35. That statement ruffled feathers in many circles.

In India, the general public was happy considering the F35 is touted as one of the best 5th generation aircraft. Indian defence experts were wary since the domestic 5th gen aircraft the AMCA was now competing with F35. The F35 is not a great fit with India’s existing airforce equipment and will not be able to deploy some of the best missiles developed by India. Some airforce enthusiast pointed out necessity factor with China fielding 6th generation aircrafts.

Globally, there were raised eye-brows for different reasons. The F35 was categorically refused to Turkey because Turkey, after having ordered the F35, went and bought the Russian air defence missile system - the S400.

NATO and US officials were concerned that Turkey’s deployment and operation of the S-400 could expose at least some of the F-35’s highly classified features to Russian intelligence gathering. Following the first delivery of S-400 components, the White House announced that Turkey’s acquisition of the S-400 ‘render[ed] its continued involvement with the F-35 impossible’ and that sales of the aircraft to Turkey had been suspended.¹

Now, India already operates the next version of Russian air defence missile system the S400. And hence, US vendors were deliberately not talking about the F35. They offered India an updated version of F16 (renamed as the F21), F/A-18 Super Hornet, the F15EX Eagle-II but not the F35. Till last year. Since then F35 has visited India and been featured right next to the Russian 5th gen fighter the Su-57 in this Aero-India show. So why did the US offer the F35 to India?

Here is my hypothesis:

1. The US needs eyes and I mean very, very powerful eyes on China in east-Tibet or somewhere around Yunan or could be Myanmaar too. To do that you need very sophisticated equipment in the sky. That will be F35.

2. The F35 is integrated information gathering platform and it is connected with the US global threat assessment and monitoring system at some level.

   1. This is similar to the US Thaad Missile defence system sharing the information with US. The US mans all the Thaad systems even in South Korea so it is a bit explicit that US will get intel through it.

   2. Thus, the F35 despite being manned with Indian pilots and performing Indian operations, may be able to send critical information and data back to the US.

3. That could also be the reason the US wanted an airbase in Bangladesh. It could have avoided transferring the tech to India while maintaining eye on China.

4. So I guess the question before India was whether to let the US operate an airbase in that region (with potential interference in the North Eastern states in the future) OR buy two squadrons of F35s and let the US have a intel-sharing through F35.

In Sum

There is more than what meets the eye in the F35 offer to India. I believe these realities have been discussed openly between Modi and Trump. As observers we need to watch out for some cues that will tell us if my hypothesis is right:

1. The number of F35 may be limited to 2 squadrons - 36 to 40 aircrafts.

2. The US may offer generous financial terms to India for the F35.

3. It may transfer the F35 to India in a double quick time (before 2028 for example).

Lets watch the space!

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1. Turkey, the S-400 and the F-35 - IISS