Congress Slams Modi Govt Over F-35 Deal: ‘Was Indian Air Force Consulted?’

New Delhi: The Congress party has raised concerns over India’s potential acquisition of F-35 stealth fighter jets from the United States following President Donald Trump’s recent announcement. Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala questioned the Modi government, alleging that no consultation was held with the Indian Air Force or defence experts before considering the purchase.

In a post on X, Surjewala claimed that the decision lacked recommendations from the Defence Acquisition Council, the key body responsible for approving major defence deals. He accused the Modi government of taking a unilateral decision to buy the aircraft without considering national security interests.

He further pointed out that the F-35 is one of the most expensive fighter jets in the world, with a single aircraft costing approximately 110 million dollars, or around Rs 968 crore. According to him, if India were to purchase 100 such jets, it would cost over Rs 1,00,000 lakh crore, raising concerns about the economic impact of such a deal.

देश ये भी जानना चाहता है कि F 35 लड़ाकू विमान को उड़ाने की कॉस्ट अमेरिकी डॉलर $35,000 प्रति घंटा है, यानी ₹ 28,00,000 प्रति घंटा ।

क्या मोदी सरकार को लगता है कि रुपैया अठाईस लाख प्रति घंटा लागत भारत के लिए सही है और क्या भारतीय वायु सेना व रक्षा विशेषज्ञों से इस बारे राय ली गई?… https://t.co/RPolvcj62V pic.twitter.com/xaqFaw8JKe

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 15, 2025

Surjewala also cited a Pentagon report that allegedly highlighted 65 operational flaws in the F-35, including issues related to its flight control system, head-mounted display, and oxygen system. He questioned whether the Modi government had examined these flaws and consulted Indian defence experts before considering the purchase.

He further pointed to a report by the US Government Accountability Office, which stated that more than half of the US Air Force’s F-35 fleet was not fit to fly at any given time. He asked whether the Modi government had taken these findings into account before moving forward with the potential deal.

Another key issue raised by Surjewala was the absence of a transfer of technology agreement with the United States, which means India would not be able to manufacture the jets domestically. He noted that Russia and other countries had offered to collaborate on the production of fifth-generation fighter aircraft with technology transfer, questioning why the Modi government was not prioritizing this approach.

Responding to questions on the matter, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri clarified that no formal process had begun for acquiring the F-35. He explained that any military procurement involves a structured process, including a request for proposals and evaluation of responses, which had not yet taken place.