The Centre on Friday clarified in Parliament that no formal discussions have taken place between India and the United States on the procurement of F-35 fifth-generation fighter jets, despite mentions in recent bilateral statements and speculation following President Donald Trump’s February visit.
Responding to a question from Congress MP Balwant Baswant Wankhade in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh stated, “No formal discussions have been held as yet on this issue.”
The question pertained to whether Washington had extended any official proposal to New Delhi for the supply of F-35 aircraft following statements made by President Trump during high-level engagements with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year.
Although the joint statement issued on February 13 had referred to a potential review by the United States regarding its policy on releasing advanced military technologies, including the F-35 and undersea systems, to India, the minister confirmed that such possibilities had not translated into formal talks.
The clarification comes in the wake of reports suggesting that India had ruled out any major defence acquisitions in the near future, despite recent tensions arising from Trump’s imposition of steep tariffs on Indian exports.
According to reports, officials in New Delhi were “shocked and disappointed” by Trump’s 25 per cent tariff hike and were seeking ways to manage the fallout by exploring options to increase imports from the US. such as natural gas, gold, and telecommunications equipment, while avoiding new defence purchases.
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In his query, Wankhade also sought details about the United States’ role in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
Singh said that India conveyed its “focused, measured and non-escalatory” position in multiple diplomatic interactions, including one with US Vice President J.D. Vance on May 09. He added, “It was conveyed to Vice President J.D. Vance on May 09 that India would appropriately respond if Pakistan launched a major attack.”
He further noted that any discussion on ceasing military action was held directly between India and Pakistan, initiated through existing military channels at Islamabad’s request.
Tensions between New Delhi and Washington have sharpened following President Trump’s public outbursts against India’s trade policies and its defence and energy ties with Russia.
In a recent post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump accused India and Russia of having “dead economies” and warned of further penalties if New Delhi continued its strategic alignment with Moscow.
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