Defence Minister takes F35 dig at US from INS platform

New Delhi: Taking a subtle dig at the US, defence minister Rajnath Singh said India is firmly on the path of indigenisation and has built its own floating F35, referring to the pennant number of a new stealth frigate he commissioned on Tuesday.

"You have launched the indigenous F35 warship. One nation has a flying F35, and you have built a floating F35, that also made in India," he said at the commissioning event of INS Udaygiri and Himgiri in Visakhapatnam.

US President Donald Trump had spoken about selling F35 fighter jets to India earlier this year. But there has been no forward movement on any acquisition, even as ties have spiralled due to the imposition of tariffs by the US.


Singh said India is on the path of indigenisation and priority is being given to R&D. "Earlier, only a few countries were manufacturing high-tech equipment, which now India is producing on its own soil," he said.