From Kerala To California, Trump’s F-35 Hype Hits Turbulence | Analysis

Image: IAF/X

From God's own country to the Golden State, the American fighter jet, F-35, must have been demanding mercy. Just a few months ago, it was the star of the skies — praised for its agility, admired for its stealth, and celebrated for slipping past radar like a ghost. American President Donald Trump was full of praise for the multi-role fighter jets. In February this year, Trump pushed for the jet's sale to India after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There was affirmation. There were strong sentiments. F-35 became a possible contender for the Indian skies besides Rafale. But months later, the dream appears to have crash-landed. 

What Is F-35 Fighter Jets?

The F-35 is a stealth multirole fighter jet developed by Lockheed Martin for the United States and its allies. It is designed to perform a wide range of missions, including air superiority, ground attack, intelligence gathering, and electronic warfare. There are three main variants - F-35A used for conventional takeoff and landing and is in service of the US Air Force. F-35B is used for short takeoff and vertical landing and is deployed by the US Marines and British Navy. The third is the F-35C carrier-based variant used by the US Navy.

F-35B's Kerala Canker

British Navy's F-35B fighter jet, purchased from the United States, made an emergency landing at the airport on June 14. The fighter jet took off from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on July 22 after remaining grounded at the airport for over a month following a fault in the hydraulic system. A technical team from the UK Royal Air Force had arrived to repair it. What caused an embarrassment for the US and the Britishers was that the radar-evading jet, which was on a routine sortie, was intercepted by the Indian Air Force. "On having declared a diversion off an emergency, the F35B was detected and identified by the IAF's IACCS network and cleared for the recovery," said IAF said in a statement on June 15. 

The interception of the stealth jet by the Integrated Air Command and Control System called out the bluff that the jets can fly without being tracked. This put a fresh stain on the F-35s' dwindling credibility.

California Crash

A US Navy F-35C fighter jet crashed in central California on July 30 near Naval Air Station Lemoore. The aircraft was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VF-125, known as the "Rough Raiders," the Navy said. The crashed jet was an F-35C, one of three variants of the F-35 Lightning II, designed for use on US aircraft carriers. The crash of the aircraft, priced at around USD 100 million, was the second of an F-35 this year. An Air Force F-35A crashed at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska in January during a training mission.

F-35 B Deal In Dock?

India has not been keen to purchase the F-35 variants, especially given the crash and malfunctioning of the aircraft. Its reliability has not been up to the mark despite long years in service, and the aircraft has faced increasing scrutiny in recent years. Moreover, now India wants to build its own fifth-generation jet and thus is looking for private-government collaborations to make one suitable for India's needs. With recent accidents and malfunctions, India has got yet another reason to avoid the deal and pursue its indigenous dream.