Its in the mutul interest of both countries. Take a good hard look at the CHina - Pakistan Nexus. They have a plan and are working towards it. It is the destruction of India. Anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool to not see it. They will give you signs of friendship and allow you lower your guard but thats exactly what they want. When both nations attack, India cannot fight alone. We need to make strong decisions about our future. We have to look after the survival of our nation first and foremost. This isa chance for us, to really the US how we are a capable partner and let our action speak not our words. India buy the fighters, it ill be the best deal in the long term scheme of things.
Are you saying that US-India can only be friends if our armed forces choose to buy everything from US only my friend thats not possible Russians have been our longest friends but we don't buy everything even from them. we have the world's 2nd largest military, 4th largest air force and 7th largest navy so we cannot depend on any single arms supplier. If US is indeed interested in friendship then why is it forcing us to choose equipment thats not good enough to purchase unless US sweetens the deal with alliances. small armed forces like Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Israel, UK, Australia, Singapore can afford to be all Americans we cant. We'll buy equipment from US but only things that are best in their roles like C-17s,C-130s,P-8Is,E-2Ds,etc.
also we'll do everything we can to avoid signing those derogatory contracts which are made with the purpose of humiliating any self-respecting nation. they should offer to base IAC-2 on the gerald r ford class that we wont refuse.
Also i must remind you that after 1961 indo-sino war the US arrived in India with ammunition and supplies but they were late and we didn't wanna continue the hostilities. but we got bad blood among us in the 1971 indo-pak war US ordered the USS Enterprise to invade Bay of Bengal and only the Russians had the deterrence to force them out of the decision. The Russians also sent a strong message to China by deploying several missiles on the Russo-Sino border.
Today the US wants to be friends then it's about time it starts behaving as one. A good way would be to send the USS Enterprise again to these waters for defending Bay of Bengal from ex-Varyag. the aircraft carrier will be soon retired so offer it to Indian Navy the hull should be free we'll pay for refurbishment but we'll only fly Super Hornets of it not JSF cause we and Lockheed Martin got very bad blood among us cause they've been giving jets to pak for free so if u want us to operate JSF then you'll have to give em to us for free. If the US can do this then it would have proved it's a worthy friend and the world'll witness an era of indo-US friendship like never before and we wont even mind signing those contracts.
If you are our friend then prove it and remember actions speak much louder than words.
Also there's a saying handed down to us by our forefathers it says that
"The US is a dangerous enemy and a lethal friend."
I must say it was foolish of US to expect any loyalty from Pak these fellows have betrayed their own nation at the critical point of independence why would they stay loyal to US.