In a development that signals rising tensions in the South Asian airpower landscape, Pakistan’s Air Force chief has reportedly urged the United States not to proceed with a proposed sale of F-35A stealth fighters to India, warning that such a move could dangerously tilt the regional strategic balance.
According to multiple reports from Indian defence media, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu voiced this request during his recent official visit to Washington — a visit that marked the first by a Pakistani air chief to the U.S. in over a decade.
During the trip, ACM Sidhu held closed-door discussions with his U.S. counterpart, General David W. Allvin, and engaged with senior American military and political leadership, although the exact timing of the visit remains classified.
Indian outlets allege that ACM Sidhu expressed direct concern that U.S. approval for India to acquire the F-35A — a fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter developed by Lockheed Martin — would significantly erode the aerial balance of power in the subcontinent.
“The Pakistani Air Force Chief conveyed that the U.S. approval of the F-35A sale to India would severely destabilise the regional air power balance in South Asia,” the reports stated.
The Pakistani military is said to be growing increasingly uneasy over media reports suggesting that the Indian Air Force (IAF) is seriously evaluating the acquisition of either the F-35A or Russia’s Su-57 Felon, both of which would drastically elevate India’s strategic strike and air dominance capabilities.
ACM Sidhu’s warning reportedly coincides with Islamabad’s own upcoming fifth-generation fighter acquisition — the Chinese-built J-35A, set to enter service with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in early 2026.
Chinese and Pakistani sources have confirmed that Beijing is fast-tracking the delivery of the J-35A stealth fighter — developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation — with the first units expected to arrive in Pakistan within the next six to eight months.
The PAF has reportedly signed a deal for 40 J-35A units, with delivery expected to be completed over the next two years.
Designed to rival the F-35, the J-35A features twin engines, internal weapons bays for reduced radar cross-section, and is capable of deploying China’s PL-15 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, offering a combat radius exceeding 1,200 nautical miles (2,200 km).
Reports further indicate that Pakistani pilots are already undergoing advanced training in China on the J-35A platform, solidifying Islamabad’s intent to deploy a fifth-generation fleet in the near term.
Against this backdrop, the Indian Air Force is now urgently pushing for its own fifth-generation capability to counter the growing threat posed by both China’s J-20 Mighty Dragon and Pakistan’s forthcoming J-35A fleet.
According to Indian media, the U.S. is expected to formally offer the F-35A Lightning II to India in the coming months, with the deal possibly being unveiled during high-level defence talks later this year.
Sources suggest that the F-35A package proposed for India may include unique systems and modifications tailored to Indian operational requirements — much like the F-35I “Adir” variant used by the Israeli Air Force, which incorporates indigenous Israeli electronics and electronic warfare systems.
Among the India-specific systems reportedly under discussion are Software Defined Radios (SDRs) and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) enhancements, designed to enhance secure communications and friend-or-foe discrimination during networked combat.
The move follows a commitment made by U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year, where Trump pledged to expand military sales to India starting in 2025.
“We are going to increase defence sales to India by billions of dollars. We’re also opening the path to eventually deliver the F-35 stealth fighter to India,” Trump stated.
Lockheed Martin, the F-35’s primary manufacturer, has clarified that any sale would be conducted through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) mechanism, with the U.S. Department of Defense serving as the lead negotiator.
“All F-35 transactions are handled on a government-to-government basis. Lockheed Martin participates only as a contractor to the U.S. government,” the company said in response to recent speculation.
India, a key strategic partner for Washington in the Indo-Pacific, has signed over USD 20 billion (RM94 billion) in defence acquisitions from the United States since 2008.
That includes major systems such as the C-17 Globemaster III, Apache and Chinook helicopters, P-8I Poseidon maritime aircraft, and most recently, 31 MQ-9B SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian drones, a deal finalised last year after more than six years of negotiations.
During his recent visit to India, U.S. Vice President JD Vance reiterated Washington’s willingness to supply India with F-35s and urged New Delhi to consider the platform’s game-changing advantages in terms of stealth, multirole capability, and networked warfare readiness.
Meanwhile, Russia has stepped up its counterproposal by offering India co-production rights for the Su-57E Felon, Moscow’s premier fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
According to Russia’s ambassador to India, Denis Alipov, the Su-57E offer includes not just sales but joint production, technology transfer, and the ability to customise configurations based on Indian Air Force requirements.
“We’re offering our fifth-generation fighter — the Su-57E. We showcased it recently at Aero India in Bangalore, where it attracted tremendous interest,” Alipov said.
“This aircraft is highly competitive. Not only are we offering to sell it, but also to co-produce it with India. Our proposal includes technology sharing and industrial infrastructure support. We are open to configuration changes as per Indian requirements,” he added.
Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state arms export agency, stated that India could immediately begin Su-57E production by upgrading existing Su-30MKI assembly lines — over 220 units of which have already been built under license in India.
The offer is reportedly being reviewed in parallel with India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, which is still in its early development phase and unlikely to deliver operational aircraft before 2035.
As all three nuclear-armed powers — India, Pakistan, and China — accelerate their pursuit of fifth-generation stealth combat aircraft, the region appears to be on the cusp of an aerial arms race with profound implications for strategic deterrence, force projection, and regional security stability.
The coming years could mark a tectonic shift in South Asia’s balance of power — one increasingly defined not just by numbers, but by radar cross-section, sensor fusion, long-range precision munitions, and networked kill chains.
And for now, every stealth fighter decision — whether made in Washington, Beijing, Moscow, or New Delhi — could redefine air superiority in Asia for decades to come.