Pakistan sweating with Trump’s Pitch to sell F35 to India

The geopolitical landscape in Asia remains complex, with both China and India vying for military superiority on Indo Tibetan Border.

Pakistan has been left far behind in its competition with India. So it is desperately trying out alliances and defence strategies with help of China and Turkey and few others.

As India pursues modernization of its air force, the implications for Pakistan getting marginalized are profound, prompting calls from Pakistan to USA and others for a more balanced approach to arms sales and military assistance in the region.

Thus both China and Pakistan have expressed strong criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent proposal for significant military sales to India. What has really got their goat is the possibility of USA even selling their F35 s which they have refused to Turkey a NATO member.

A panicky Chinese government criticised the proposal as an example of geopolitical manoeuvring that could destabilize the Asia-Pacific region.

A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry stated that the region should not be treated as a “chessboard” for geopolitical games, asserting that forming exclusive alliances would not enhance security and could harm regional peace.

Pakistan is worried that USA may stop its current modernization of obsolete F16s.

However China need not panic (and Pakistan can only pray) because the F-35 deal with the U.S. is still only a proposal and no formal process is going to start.

This clarification has been given by India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri himself, following reports that the U.S. would be increasing military sales to India, potentially including F-35 stealth fighters.

India in all probability will be acquiring 80 to 120 Rafale fighters from France and most likely 75% of these will be made in India.

Though even here Lockheed Martin an American company is very desperately trying to pass off its obsolete F21 fighters a “repainted “ version of F16, to India.

Also by the time these Rafales join Squadron Service in IAF, there should be 12 new Squadrons of Tejas Mk1A and 6 to 8 Squadrons of TEJAS Mk2. These 4.5 generation fighters will be matching anything the the PLAAF can deploy in Occupied Tibet.

Also to match their latest J35, IAF will be having 2 to 3 Squadrons of 5.5 generation AMCA by 2035 and most probably augmented with 3 x Squadrons of SU57 MKIs which are as good as F35s and much cheaper.

As it is, the U.S. requires very strict safeguards to protect the advanced technology onboard the F-35s and for the same reason has not sold them to Turkey as they operate Russian S400 air defence systems.

So how come they will sell them to India which will soon be integrating 10 batteries of S400 systems into its overall Sub Continental level air defence grid. Talk of any safeguards by USA will be like CAATSA …just laughed off by all.

Though India instead of buying F35s will certainly take full advantage of Trump’s indication that the U.S. would significantly increase military sales to India,by going in for other gap fillers.

So just like mirroring the Rafale deal model, India will ask the Americans to fast track the 6x P8I already under negotiations and probably go in for 6 to 12 more.

It may also ask for 9 to 13 more C17 s from the reserve stocks of USAAF itself. Also additional 15 to 21 Chinook heavy transport helicopters may not be out of place.