SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG
While Indian Air Chief Amar Preet Singh and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh have dismissed the notion of a current F-35A offer to India, including what was described as an informal offer by former U.S. President Donald Trump during a February 2025 meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, information obtained by idrw.org from a Lockheed Martin India official suggests otherwise. According to the source, LMI is in the process of organizing an official briefing for senior IAF leadership, with senior Lockheed Martin officials traveling from the United States for this purpose. Dates for the briefing are currently being coordinated.
idrw.org has previously reported Lockheed Martin’s reluctance to offer the F-35 within the MRFA tender framework, likely due to the potential requirements for Transfer of Technology (ToT) and a local assembly line. Instead, LM is expected to advocate for a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) approach, a government-to-government transaction facilitated by the U.S. Department of Defense.
However, sources close to idrw.org suggest that a substantial Indian order (around 110 units) could alter this stance. Such a commitment would position India alongside major non-U.S. F-35 buyers like Japan (147) , Australia (100), and Italy (115), potentially making IAF one of the top five operators outside the United States. This significant volume might incentivize Lockheed Martin to consider options like establishing a Final Assembly and Check-out (FACO) facility in India, similar to those in Japan and Italy.
When questioned by idrw.org about the possibility of local production with a large order (100+ units), a Lockheed Martin official offered a cautiously optimistic response. “It will depend on how many units India plans to procure,” the official stated. “If India insists and the numbers justify it, Lockheed Martin might consider setting up a FACO facility here, like those in Japan and Italy.”
Yet, the official’s caveat suggests that Lockheed Martin’s willingness to invest in an Indian FACO would require both a firm commitment and strategic alignment with U.S. interests.
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