Why India is Sceptical About the USA Entering Its Fighter Aircraft Ecosystem: Lockheed’s C-130J May Win, But Its F-35s & Rebranded F-16s Remain a Question Mark

US-India bilateral relations evolved dramatically after 2000, driven by shared concerns over global terrorism and China’s unprecedented rise. The U.S. is India’s largest export market, accounting for roughly 20 per cent of total Indian goods exports, amounting to nearly $97–$100 billion annually, despite recent tensions with the Trump administration over trade and tariffs. The U.S.Continue reading “Why India is Sceptical About the USA Entering Its Fighter Aircraft Ecosystem: Lockheed’s C-130J May Win, But Its F-35s & Rebranded F-16s Remain a Question Mark”

The Indo-US Defence Industrial Cooperation – The Gap between Ambition and Execution

US defence sales to India have surged past $22 billion since the initial deal for six Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft was signed in early 2008. Since then, the US has become one of India’s key arms suppliers. However, despite the growth in military sales and bold initiatives such as the 10-Year Framework forContinue reading “The Indo-US Defence Industrial Cooperation – The Gap between Ambition and Execution”

Why China Pulled Ahead of India in Fighter Jet Engine Race Despite Both Nations Starting in the Mid-1980s? OPED

China has quietly achieved what few others have managed — fitting its J-20 stealth fighters with fully indigenous engines, while India remains far behind despite both nations starting their jet engine programmes around the mid-1980s. After years of development, Beijing’s WS-15 is now in serial production and powers the stealth J-20 aircraft. This is aContinue reading “Why China Pulled Ahead of India in Fighter Jet Engine Race Despite Both Nations Starting in the Mid-1980s? OPED”

F414 “Trap”: After 3X Price Hike, Why Swapping U.S. GE Engines for India’s Tejas Mk-2 & AMCA Won’t Be Easy

Commercial negotiations for the GE F414 engine, selected to power India’s Tejas Mk-2 and the initial variants of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), have hit a serious roadblock. Despite an earlier agreement on technology transfer, GE Aerospace has sharply escalated its price demands — nearly tripling the per-unit cost. Initial estimates had put theContinue reading “F414 “Trap”: After 3X Price Hike, Why Swapping U.S. GE Engines for India’s Tejas Mk-2 & AMCA Won’t Be Easy”