India's air chief says US has made no formal F-35 offer, Su-57 decision still pending

India has received no formal offer from the United States to buy the F-35 stealth fighter, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh said on Saturday, 10 October 2026, adding that the government has yet to decide whether the air force should evaluate Russia's rival Su-57. He was speaking at the concluding press conference of the multinational air exercise Tarang Shakti-2026 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Singh shared the stage with Gen. Kevin Schneider, commander of US Pacific Air Forces. Asked about reports of a possible sale, he turned to the American general and quipped that US personnel did not even let Indian officers go near the aircraft, yet there was talk of selling it to India. He later added that the Americans had not shown the IAF the cockpit but had allowed its pilots to fly in close formation with the jet, which he said was how countries protect their technology.

Schneider, asked how the US Air Force keeps F-35 technology under wraps, said access was not a decision he makes. Programme-level security classification guides determine what can be shared, when it is shared and how it is protected, he told reporters, according to The Tribune.

On the Su-57, Singh said the IAF had been informed that Russia had made an offer, but no decision had been taken on whether the aircraft should be evaluated. Once the government conveys its decision, the air force will assess how well the fighter meets its requirements, he said. Russia has offered to build the Su-57 in India with technology transfer, and a Russian technical team has already assessed the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited plant at Nashik that builds the Su-30MKI, The New Indian Express reported.

Six US Air Force F-35As and more than 200 US personnel took part in Tarang Shakti, the stealth fighter's first appearance in a military exercise on Indian soil. Held under the theme Power in Partnership, the exercise brought aircraft from the US, France, Germany, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to fly alongside Indian Rafales, Su-30MKIs and Tejas fighters, while more than 30 other countries sent observers.

The F-35 pitch dates back to February 2025, when US President Donald Trump said during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington that the US would pave the way for eventual supply of the fighter to India. The New Indian Express said interest had been revived by the recent visit to India of Adm. Samuel Paparo, head of US Indo-Pacific Command.

India is weighing a stop-gap fifth-generation fighter because its indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft is about a decade away and unlikely to enter service before 2035. The IAF has around 29 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42.5. At the air force's annual press conference the previous week, Singh warned that fifth-generation fighters entering service in India's neighbourhood could widen its capability gap and said the IAF might need to look at other platforms if the AMCA slips.

China already flies J-20 and J-35 stealth fighters, and Beijing has promised Pakistan 40 J-35s. The Tribune reported that those deliveries have not yet begun, while The New Indian Express said Pakistan is set to acquire the jets in the near future.