How F-35 fighter jets could boost Indian Air Force's stealth capabilities
The induction of F-35s would make India a member of an elite club of countries with the state-of-the-art stealth planes in their fleets.
US President Donald Trump has announced the sale of the F-35 fighter jets to India after his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The induction would make India a member of an elite club of countries with the state-of-the-art stealth planes in their fleets.
"Starting this year, we'll be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars. We're also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters," Trump told a joint news conference with PM Modi.
Till now, the countries that have the F-35 fighter jets include United States’ NATO allies, Israel and Japan. Here is all you need to know about F-35 jets.
What are F-35 jets and how could they be a game-changer for India?
The F-35 Lightning II has been developed by Lockheed Martin for the United States and its allies it is said to be one of the world's most advanced and versatile fighter jets.
The F-35 has all that is needed in air warfare today: advanced stealth, unparalleled situational awareness and networked combat capabilities. These jets can operate without detection at supersonic speeds.
The F-35 comes in three variants: the F-35A, designed for conventional takeoff and landing, the F-35B, capable of short takeoff and vertical landing, and the F-35C, a carrier-based model. These variants are primarily used by the US Air Force, the US Marine Corps, and the US Navy in the same order.
The F-35s recently took part in the 15th edition of Aero India, Asia's biggest aerospace and defence exhibition, at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru earlier this month.
The jets will give the Indian Air Force much needed stealth capabilities. It's cockpit doesn’t have gauges or screens like other aircraft and favours large touchscreens and a helmet-mounted display system that allows the pilot to see real-time information.
The helmet also allows the pilot to look directly through the aircraft, with the F-35’s Distributed Aperture System (DAS) and suite of six infrared cameras mounted strategically around the aircraft.
The F-35s are also capable of flying with heavy payloads without compromising with the stealth capabilities of the jet. But one thing to keep in mind is that the purchase, operation and maintainance of the jets is quite expensive.
Each jet costs around $80 million for the F-35A (standard version), $115 million for the F-35B (short takeoff/vertical landing), and $110 million for the F-35C (designed for aircraft carriers). Operating an F-35 is also very costly, with each flight hour costing about $36,000.
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