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

The United States has made no official offer for F-35 fighter jet, Indian Air Force chief AP Singh said in Delhi on Saturday. He made the remarks on the sidelines of the ‘Tarang Shakti’ multilateral air exercise which was held at the Jodhpur Air Force Station in Rajasthan.

Seven foreign nations, including the US, France, Germany and Australia, are participating in the second edition of the exercise hosted by the Indian Air Force. The US' multi-role stealth fighter jet F-35 is taking part in the exercise for the first time.

IAF chief Singh remarked on a lighter note, “I was telling the PACAF commander that your people don't even let us go near the aircraft. And you talk about selling it to us."

On Friday, the IAF on Indian Air Force's 94th anniversary, highlighted the Indian Air Force's (IAF) evolution into a major global air power following the ‘Tarang Shakti' exercise held in Jodhpur. The Air Chief Marshal emphasised that the Air Force began in 1932 with just four Wapiti aircraft and now it is leading globally.

"This event becomes very important. Sitting here while Exercise Tarang Shakti is going on, and this seminar is a part of Exercise Tarang Shakti. Also, we just completed our 94 years as the Indian Air Force yesterday, and we celebrated our 94th anniversary,” Singh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Earlier, Singh also said that last year’s four-day military confrontation with Pakistan under Operation Sindoor showed the world how swiftly the IAF can move into combat, even as he underscored the central role of air power in safeguarding national interests.

“Last year, the whole world witnessed the speed with which the IAF moved into combat operations. We saw first-hand the destructive power as well as the effective air defence operations of the IAF during Operation Sindoor,” the Chief of Air Staff said in his IAF Day address at the Hindan air force station.

In the early hours of May 7, 2025, the IAF struck two terror sites at Markaz Subhanallah in Bahawalpur and Markaz Taiba near Muridke, both in Pakistan’s Punjab province, while the army hit targets at seven places, including Mehmoona Joya in Sialkot, Sawai Nala and Syed Na Bilal in Muzaffarabad, Gulpur and Abbas in Kotli, Barnala in Bhimber, and Sarjal. On May 9-10, 2025, the IAF struck military targets in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur, Sialkot, Skardu, Sargodha, Jacobabad, Bholari and Malir Cantt in Karachi.