F-35 Secrets Exposed: The Real Reasons The World Crave The Jet, The US Says No And India Still Can’t Get It | World News
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II: The F-35 Lightning II came back into the global spotlight after President Donald Trump announced on November 20 that the United States would sell the world’s most secretive stealth fighter jet to Saudi Arabia. The plane carries unparalleled power. Carries protected technology. America shares this only with countries that enforce strict rules. Many countries want this, but only a few can reach this level.
The F-35 falls within a strict circle of rules. Even Washington’s closest ally, Israel, abides by the limits. It is America’s best and most advanced fighter jet, carrying unmatched stealth and layers of locked-down technology.
S-400 Locks Where F-35 Lands
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A story on Simpleflying.com explains a well-known fact in defense circles. The US rejects the F-35 wherever Russia’s S-400 air defense system is located. The rule is solid. Although Türkiye was once a member of NATO and has military ties with Washington, it learned this rule the hard way.
Türkiye bought the Russian S-400 anyway. Warnings were made again and again. The USA saw the F-35 as a risk and Ankara lost its place in the F-35 program.
20,000 Rupees Crore Ornaments in Warehouse
Türkiye still holds the S-400. The system, worth $2.5 billion, is now gathering dust. Five years went by without a single deployment. The S-400 remains locked in warehouses with no signs of use.
Reports indicate that Ankara is starting to re-look at the F-35 program. The idea of returning is tempting, and the weight of the missed opportunity grows heavier with each passing year.
Huawei’s 5G Towers Triggered F-35 Red Flags
The F-35 stays away from wherever the United States feels Chinese influence. Huawei is at the center of this concern. Washington is blocking Huawei from accessing its 5G network over fears of surveillance.
Australia is following the same path. New Zealand is doing the same. England also took a step back from Huawei. In 2020, a debate began in Washington.
Officials wondered whether the United States should pause future F-35 deployments in Britain. Their concerns pointed to Huawei towers and the data passing through them. The same fear also froze the planned sale of 50 F-35A jets to the UAE.
The One Rule America Never Breaks
The United States maintains its long-standing legal commitment to maintain Israel’s “qualitative military superiority” in the Middle East. This principle shapes every defense agreement in the region. In this context, Tel Aviv received 75 F-35A jets.
Arab countries, meanwhile, remain outside the circle as Qatar, the UAE or Egypt do not have access to the F-35. The region’s air power map has followed this pattern for years. Now, a new page has been opened as Saudi Arabia steps forward and searches for a place in the F-35 line.
Taiwan’s Demand Frozen
Spies also decide elections. America is wary of selling the F-35 to countries facing deep infiltration. Taiwan is located in this region. The island struggles with intense Chinese espionage.
Once he predicted a number. In the 2017 assessment, it was stated that “Approximately 5,000 people work as spies on behalf of China.” The number rings loudly. F-35 stays away from these risks.
Trump Pushed the F-35 Deal, Pentagon Put the Brakes on
A new proposal is now gaining momentum in Washington. President Trump’s preparations to sell 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia have already created anxiety in the Pentagon. Senior defense officials warn that the transfer could expose some of the plane’s most sensitive technologies.
New assessments from the Defense Intelligence Agency highlight the alleged risk. It is stated that if Riyadh seizes the F-35, China will be able to access the secret secrets of the jet through Saudi channels.
Defense experts also expressed serious concerns, warning that the joint military exercise between Saudi Arabia and China could open the door to technology leaks. During such exercises, Beijing might get a chance to study the F-35’s radar evasion lines, understand how its software behaves, or observe the patterns of its sensors.
They say even small technical clues could help China boost its own J-20 stealth fighter jet.
But Trump seems determined. He publicly supported the sale, calling Saudi Arabia a “strong ally” and insisting the partnership justified the move.
The World’s Most Expensive Fighter Ever Made
Lockheed Martin produces the F-35 Lightning II. Production began in 2006 and entered service in the United States in 2015.
The F-35’s origins date back to the 1990s, when the United States began replacing aging fighter jets such as the F-16. The intention behind its creation was to build a jet that a single pilot could fly while performing both air combat and ground attack missions in the same sortie.
Over the years, it has become the most expensive weapons project in Pentagon history. The aircraft comes in three variants and prices range from Rs 700 crore to Rs 944 crore.
Each hour of the flight costs roughly Rs 31.20 lakh, highlighting how costly it is to operate the jet. These prices reveal why the F-35 has such a different and effective place in modern air power.
India’s F-35 Dilemma: Prestige and Practicality
A report from the Observer Research Foundation explores this question in detail. The US is considering a plan where India could receive a formal bid for the F-35A through a Foreign Military Sales agreement.
In February 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Washington, where Trump floated the idea of selling the jet to India. However, New Delhi did not give a final response.
So far, the US has sold more than 1,100 F-35s to 19 partner countries, but the aircraft may not be a perfect fit for India due to its high cost, maintenance requirements and limited technology transfer barriers.
