SOURCE: AFI
Amid ongoing discussions surrounding U.S. offers to India for the sale of F-16 fighter jets and potential future sales of F-35 stealth aircraft, a Russian think tank has raised concerns over possible vulnerabilities in the avionics systems of these American aircraft. The Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade (CAWAT), an independent research organization based in Moscow, issued a warning in an article published on the Russian defense portal Oborona.ru, cautioning that such aircraft might include intentionally inserted “backdoors” within their electronic systems.
According to CAWAT’s director, Igor Korotchenko, these backdoors could be exploited via external signals to disable critical combat functionalities of the aircraft. This would effectively render the fighter jets incapable of executing sorties during critical military operations, particularly in scenarios where the interests of the aircraft’s manufacturer country conflict with those of the buyer.
The concerns raised by CAWAT come at a time when India is evaluating its future fighter fleet as part of the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program. While the U.S. has actively pitched the F-16 Fighting Falcon, rebranded as the F-21, and hinted at the possibility of F-35 Lightning II deliveries, such allegations of compromised avionics could influence India’s procurement decisions.
Russia’s caution underscores broader anxieties about reliance on foreign platforms that could potentially be controlled or neutralized remotely. This argument aligns with India’s growing emphasis on indigenous defense capabilities under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, which aims to reduce dependence on foreign systems by developing domestically produced technologies.
While CAWAT’s warning is speculative, it is not unprecedented for defense manufacturers to incorporate restrictive technologies or kill switches into their exports. Historically, concerns have been raised about the inclusion of such mechanisms in military equipment exported by various nations to ensure control over their use. However, major defense manufacturers like the U.S. strongly deny such practices, citing robust security protocols and adherence to international defense agreements.
The Indian government must weigh such concerns carefully as it pursues new fighter jets to bolster its aging fleet. The potential for vulnerabilities in advanced systems like the F-21 or F-35 could further support the argument for investing in indigenous platforms such as the Tejas Mk2 and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programs.