Lockheed Martin denies offering India fifth-generation F-35 fighter

US firm sticks with older F-16 in Indian "single-engine fighter" tender

Lockheed Martin, the US aerospace giant, rebutted a report that was widely published in the Indian media, that it had offered the state-of-the-art F-35 Lightning II fighter to the country. The F-35, a fifth-generation fighter, that is only now entering service in significant numbers, is superior to the F-16 Block 70 fighter that Lockheed Martin is offering India in its proposed purchase of an estimated 100 single-engine fighters.

But on Monday, Lockheed Martin spokesperson, Michael Friedman, stated: “The article referencing F-35 production in India was misreported and incorrect. The conversation was in regards to F-16 production.”

Further, DefenseNews magazine, quoted