India Snubs US on F-35 Deal, MRFA List Finalized—Blowback Over Anti-India Propaganda

Washington: After Operation Sindoor, it seemed that American media had become the mouthpiece of Pakistan. From CNN to New York Times, many other TV channels and newspapers were running a campaign against India by becoming the mouthpiece of the Pakistani army. One after the other, news was being written in the American media quoting the Pakistani army. There was no mention of India. Although now the American media has started accepting the truth slowly, but the damage that was to be done in information warfare has already been done. American defense companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin may now suffer huge losses worth billions of dollars due to the anti-India campaign of the American media. According to reports, Indian defense officials are very angry with the way the US media campaigned against India during Operation Sindoor and spread propaganda against India through false news.

The US media's campaign against India has damaged India's anti-terrorism narrative and it will definitely have an impact on the upcoming defense deal with the US. India is a huge defense market. Many defense projects were on the table between India and the US, through which India becomes the country that buys the most weapons from the US.

US media's campaign against India

India has purchased advanced defense platforms like P-8I Poseidon naval aircraft, C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, Apache AH-64E attack helicopters, Chinook heavy-lift helicopters from the US. Apart from this, talks are going on between India and the US for many more arms deals and this list is even bigger than that. There are projects like GE-F414 engine project (for India's Tejas Mark 2 and AMCA fighter), MQ-9 Reaper drones (deal worth more than 3 billion), Stryker ICVs, NASAMS Air Defense and Archer artillery on which both the countries are negotiating between India and America. But the American media has spoiled everything by running an anti-India campaign. Because of the American media, Pakistan is celebrating even after the destruction of 13 airbases.

So now follow-up orders for platforms like CH-47 Chinook, P-8I Poseidon and C-130J Super Hercules may be in danger. Apart from this, the deal of India MRFA project, under which India is going to buy 114 fighter jets, may also slip out of the hands of American arms companies. America wants to include some more fighter jets along with its F-21 fighter jet in the MRFA program. At the same time, the biggest setback for America can be regarding the fifth generation fighter aircraft F-35. There are reports that India is allegedly planning to stop talks with US President Donald Trump on the F-35 stealth fighter jet.

Indian defence officials are angry that news agencies like CNN, Newsweek and Reuters were exaggerating what Pakistan was saying without fact checking. CNN correspondents were reporting nonsense from Islamabad. Fake news was being run quoting Pakistani officials. For example, quoting Khawaja Asif, the US media was showing that India had attacked civilians in Pakistan. Apart from this, a lot of false news has also been shown about India's fighter jets. The US media did not ask Pakistan any questions about terrorism even once, rather many media outlets became a platform for Pakistani leaders and were reporting like spokespersons. This has filled India's Defence Ministry with deep anger and its effect is now going to be on the India-US defence deal. Indian officials believe that the US launched a campaign against India to create a balance between India and Pakistan and the US media reporting was part of that campaign.

India-US arms deals

India has purchased weapons worth more than $20 billion from the US since 2008, including 2 AlH-64E Apache helicopters, 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, 12 P-8I Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and 22 C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft. Apart from that, India was going to give a follow-on order of 6 more P-8ls surveillance aircraft to the US for $2.42 billion to further strengthen its navy. Apart from this, Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin's F-21 were the main contenders in the MRFA deal, and US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have publicly spoken about selling the F-35, but now all these deals are in danger.