Pakistan's possible J-35 purchase could revive US push to sell F-35s to India

American strategic think tanks argue that Pakistan’s steps toward buying China’s J-35 stealth fighter could reshape the strategic calculus for U.S. arms sales in South Asia. The J-35, unveiled at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow, would be the first export of the Chinese fifth-generation jet and would deepen Beijing’s defence cooperation with Islamabad, extending Chinese air capabilities into the region. India, meanwhile, has signaled to U.S. officials that it is not interested in the F-35, favoring joint development and domestic production under its Make in India initiative, while its own AMCA program remains years from service.

Analysts note that India’s reliance on Russian systems such as the S-400 and Su-30MKI raises U.S. security concerns about integrating the F-35’s classified technologies. Nevertheless, the absence of a home-grown fifth-generation fighter may push Washington to revisit its long-standing hesitancy, though doing so would require navigating India’s strategic autonomy and existing defence procurement policies.