US President Donald Trump on Thursday pitched for the sale of F-35 stealth fighters during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden visit after the regime change in Washington. This comes at a time when India has taken a “firm resolve” to roll out similarly capable Indigenous fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) by 2034-35.

In a joint statement at the White House, during a state visit from India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Trump said that the US would increase the sales “by many billions of dollars. We're also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters”.

Despite its unmatched technological advantages, the F-35 comes with a hefty price tag. The shell price of F-35 is approximately $80 million per aircraft. Then the price goes up with customer’s request for specific weapons on board including missiles,