Aero India 2023: US 5th gen F-35 fighter makes first landing in India

Source: The post is based on the article “US fifth-gen F-35 makes first India landing” published in Business Standard on 14th February 2023.

What is the News?

The United States Air Force’s F-35 fighters have landed on Indian soil for the first time to take part in Aero India-2023.

What is Aero India 2023?

Aero India is a biennial air show. It is the largest air show in Asia. 

It is organized by the Defence Exhibition Organisation, Ministry of Defence. 

The theme of Aero India 2023 is “The Runway to a Billion Opportunities”.

What is the F-35?

Lockheed Martin F-35 is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. 

It is also able to provide electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.

F-35 is said to be one of the most advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft in the world.F-35 fighter jets have landed in India for the first time.

Is India planning to buy the F-35?

India plans to develop its own fighter jet aircraft called advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA).

AMCA will be a fifth-generation stealth, multi-role combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

The aircraft is expected to be produced by a public-private joint venture between the DRDO, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and an Indian private company.

The AMCA will put India in a select group of countries with super-cruise and stealth aircraft capabilities—the others being the US, Russia and China.

– Note: Stealth aircraft are designed to avoid detection by enemy radars or their air-defence systems. Their ‘First Look, First Kill’ concept will allow AMCA pilots to spot an enemy plane first, fire a missile and destroy the target without the adversary even knowing about it or being able to react.