The Indian media has flocked to criticize the United States after the crash of the "Lightning" fighter jet in Dubai, and their reasons are indeed hard to refute!

At 2:10 pm on the afternoon of the 21st, an Indian-made LCA "Lightning" fighter jet lost control during a flight demonstration. Video footage showed that the aircraft exhibited abnormal posture while performing a rolling maneuver, with the fuselage clearly lagging in response. Subsequently, thick smoke emerged from the right side, followed by a rapid dive into the ground, causing an explosion and fire. The pilot failed to eject and was killed on the spot.

After the accident, Indian media began to reflect: the problem lies in the F404-GE-IN20 engine provided by the United States. Indian media believe that this engine has a risk of compressor stall and uses the same faulty fuel pump as the same model of aircraft that crashed in 2024. More importantly, the US has only delivered two F404 engines planned for export versions of the "Lightning", seriously slowing down the project schedule.

Indian media quickly followed up, citing statements from retired generals and military industry experts on several mainstream platforms: General Electric of the United States is delaying the delivery of advanced engines because it sees the "Lightning" as a potential market competitor. An Indian host even directly said: "The US is worried that the 'Lightning' will take orders for the F-16 or F/A-18 in third-world countries, so they are deliberately stalling."

According to the 2023 report by the Indian Audit Office, since the project was launched in 1983, the "Lightning" project has taken a staggering 42 years due to repeated design changes and supply chain breakdowns, setting a world record.

On one hand, there are its own design flaws and quality control loopholes; on the other hand, the key power system is dependent on others. In this dual dilemma, India has pointed the finger at the United States, which seems like "shifting blame," but actually exposes a harsh reality: without a complete aviation industry system, the so-called "domestically produced aircraft" is just an assembled shell.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849558004767820/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.