Key Points and Summary – India appears hesitant to resolve tariff and trade issues with the United States by purchasing U.S. defense equipment, with the F-35 being at the top of the list.
-New Delhi buys billions of dollars’ worth of military hardware from Russia, something that would be hard to stop overnight and integrate.
-This reluctance stems from its “Make in India” initiative, a major push to develop its own domestic defense industry rather than depending on foreign suppliers, creating a complex standoff between the two nations.
India, Tariffs, and the F-35 Fighter
In a recent post on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump talked about tariffs on exports from India to the United States. “Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country,” the president wrote.
“Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE — ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MAGA!”
Trump seemed to be drawing attention to the significant amount of military equipment that India has in service. The Russian kit appears to have drawn his attention for sure.
The country operates a substantial fleet of T-90 and T-72-derived tanks, which are newer Russian and legacy Soviet designs, respectively, and form the backbone of India’s armored ground forces.
However, India’s defense ties with Russia run even deeper, with a history spanning decades of various deals.
Trump seems to want to change that, and it might be an uphill climb.
U.S. Defense Deals to the Rescue? Not Exactly
So, what are the chances that India would buy large amounts of U.S. military hardware in the future to help resolve trade differences, especially the F-35?
At least, for the moment, not likely.
Bloomberg reports that the administration in New Delhi was “shocked and disappointed” by Trump’s declaration.
However, it seemed eager to buy more American goods, just not lots of military goods and hardware.
“India is considering ramping up its natural gas purchases from the US, and increase imports of communication equipment and gold, the people [familiar with the discussion] said,” Bloomberg wrote. “They added that boosting these purchases could help narrow India’s trade surplus with the US over the next three to four years,” but added that, for the moment at least, “no defense purchases are being planned.”
F-35I Adir High in the Sky. Image Credit: IDF/Creative Commons.
Russian Military Hardware Presents Challenges
In addition to the numerous submarine and surface ship designs that the Indian Navy shares with the Russian Navy, both countries also co-developed the BrahMos cruise missile, a hypersonic munition. Many of India’s naval aviation assets are Russian, as are its air defenses, and its missiles, both air-to-air and air-to-surface.
Buying billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. military hardware would be a challenge to integrate into a cohesive fighting force, to say the least.
Then There Is the F-35 Fighter…
The club of nations that fly the F-35 is still fairly exclusive, though it is growing. In addition to several NATO allies – including several F-35 program partners – Israel, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Singapore are all involved. The Israeli Air Force operates the F-35I, a specialized variant of the F-35.
It is unusual, therefore, that India is uninterested, or to use Bloomberg’s reporting, ‘not keen’ on the F-35. Commentators bemoaned the decision.
And, it would seem that India, at least, for now, has not even given the matter much thought.
So, at least for the moment, a large Indian F-35 purchase looks unlikely.
Clashes with Pakistan
This situation becomes even more complex when India considers recent battlefield performances.
Recent clashes with Pakistan, although they did not end in defeat, were not as decisive as India had hoped. In retaliation for a militant attack against civilians in Kashmir in April, India launched several strikes on Pakistani territory, blaming that country’s security services for alleged involvement in the attack.
Both sides exchanged salvoes. India managed to launch several strikes against air defenses and other Pakistani infrastructure, while also intercepting a number of missiles and drones launched from that country. Pakistan, on the other hand, managed to down several Indian Air Force aircraft.
Many details of the engagement remain opaque. However, it is clear that the Indian Air Force lost several French-supplied Rafale jets, seemingly downed by Pakistani-operated Chinese jets and weaponry.
And while the performance of individual pilots is certainly relevant, the losses may provide some impetus to India to hasten the development of its own domestic aerospace and defense industries to produce viable alternative platforms. And that might go a long way to explain the hesitance to buy billions in U.S. arms, like the F-35.
Made in India and F-35?
The source of New Delhi’s rebuff of Washington appears to stem, at least in part, from the country’s desire to make much of what it deems necessary in India, in line with the “Make in India” initiative. That would seem to make any major U.S. military deals, such as the F-35, difficult to work out.
Launched in 2014, that campaign aims to redirect India’s industrial and government efforts toward manufacturing essential goods domestically – including defense platforms – and wean the country away from its longstanding dependence on foreign kit.
Not only would India like to diversify its defense away from Russian platforms, but it would also like to boost India’s defense standing at home and abroad by competing internationally for defense contracts. The goal is to establish a robust defense-industrial base and generate employment opportunities within India.
Would there be any chance of an India-U.S. F-35 coproduction agreement to draw New Delhi in? Considering the technology involved, it seems pretty unlikely.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
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