IAF chief says US has made no official offer for F-35: 'Your people don’t let us near the aircraft'

The key point is that India has not received a formal US offer for the F-35 fighter jet. Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh made this clear in Delhi while discussing Exercise Tarang Shakti. His comment separates public interest or informal discussion from an official sales proposal.

Singh used humor to make the point. He said he told the PACAF commander, “your people don't even let us go near the aircraft. And you talk about selling it to us.” The remark referred to the F-35’s tightly controlled access during the exercise, where the aircraft was present but not freely available for inspection.

For now, the F-35’s participation does not mean India is negotiating a purchase. The article records no official American offer. Instead, the jet’s appearance gave Indian and foreign forces an opportunity to observe its involvement in a major multinational air exercise.

The F-35 is a modern fighter aircraft described in the article as both multi-role and stealthy. Multi-role means one aircraft can support different missions, rather than being limited to a single job. Stealth refers to design features that reduce how easily radar and other sensors can detect, track, or identify it. These qualities make the aircraft valuable in complex air operations.

In practice, a multi-role fighter may support air combat, strike targets, gather information, and assist other forces. Stealth does not make an aircraft invisible. It makes detection and targeting more difficult, helping the aircraft operate with greater uncertainty for an opponent. The article identifies the F-35 as a US fighter jet but does not list its full technical specifications.

The aircraft’s presence at Tarang Shakti mattered because other participating air forces could see how a highly advanced US platform operates alongside their own aircraft. However, the article does not report any Indian decision to buy it or any official American offer.

Exercise Tarang Shakti is a multinational military air exercise hosted by the Indian Air Force. Its purpose is to bring several countries’ air forces together for coordinated activity, shared experience, and professional interaction. The second edition took place at the Jodhpur Air Force Station in Rajasthan, with seven foreign nations participating.

The F-35’s participation was significant because it was the first time the US multi-role stealth fighter had taken part in the exercise. Its presence placed an advanced American aircraft alongside aircraft from other participating countries. IAF chief AP Singh also highlighted the unusual limits on access, saying US personnel did not let Indian officials approach the jet closely.

The event therefore had both operational and symbolic importance. It demonstrated international air-force cooperation while putting a high-profile US platform before partner nations. Still, the article records no official F-35 offer to India, so participation should not be treated as evidence of a planned sale.

Seven foreign nations participated in the second edition of Exercise Tarang Shakti, hosted by the Indian Air Force. The exercise brought together air forces from different countries at Jodhpur Air Force Station in Rajasthan. Such participation gives the event an international character and allows several partners to operate within the same broad training setting.

The article specifically names the United States, France, Germany, and Australia. The US contribution included the F-35, its multi-role stealth fighter, which participated in Tarang Shakti for the first time. France, Germany, and Australia were also identified as participating countries, although the article does not provide details about every aircraft they deployed.

The exercise shows the IAF working with a diverse group of foreign air forces. It also gives participating countries a setting for cooperation and observation. The article does not name the other three foreign nations, so their identities cannot be established from the provided text.

When countries train alongside advanced aircraft, they practise turning separate national capabilities into coordinated operations. Pilots and support teams can improve communication, timing, formation work, and understanding of one another’s procedures. This matters because real crises may require forces from several countries to operate in the same airspace.

The F-35’s participation in Tarang Shakti provided a concrete example. The US stealth fighter operated within an exercise that also involved India and six other foreign nations. Participants could observe its presence and work around it, while access to the aircraft itself remained restricted. The article does not describe specific drills or outcomes.

The broader effect is greater familiarity and professional contact among participating air forces. Such exercises can expose differences in tactics, equipment, and operating methods. They do not automatically create an alliance, transfer sensitive technology, or lead to a purchase. In this case, the article confirms cooperation, but not an F-35 sales agreement with India.

The article shows that the United States restricted how closely Indian personnel could approach the F-35, even while bringing it to Tarang Shakti. A likely reason is protection of sensitive military technology. Stealth features, sensors, software, communications systems, and maintenance practices can reveal valuable information if examined too closely. This explanation uses established knowledge about advanced combat aircraft; the article itself does not state the US government’s reason.

The balance is practical. The US can display the aircraft, fly it in a multinational exercise, and build familiarity with partners while controlling physical access and technical disclosure. AP Singh captured that tension by joking that American personnel would not let Indians near the jet despite talk of selling it.

This approach allows cooperation without giving away all capabilities. It also shows why participation does not equal inspection or technology transfer. In the article, the F-35’s presence created visibility and interaction, but there was no official offer to India and no detailed disclosure of its systems.

Air power matters because modern conflict depends on speed, information, protection, and reach. Stealth can make aircraft harder to detect and target. Intelligence helps identify threats and choose objectives. Air defence protects forces and territory from incoming aircraft or missiles. Long-range strike allows attacks against important targets without bringing every aircraft close to danger.

The article connects these ideas to the IAF’s account of Operation Sindoor. AP Singh said the operation showed the speed of the IAF’s move into combat, its destructive power, and the effectiveness of its air-defence operations. The article also records strikes against terror sites and later military targets in Pakistan during May 2025.

Together, these capabilities can let an air force detect, decide, defend, and strike rapidly. They also support national security beyond a single battle. The article presents Operation Sindoor as evidence of the IAF’s operational reach, while the F-35’s presence at Tarang Shakti illustrates the continuing importance of advanced aircraft.