Despite being one of the most populous countries in the world, Bangladesh’s military strength is weak compared to other countries and its neighbouring countries. The condition of the country’s air force, in particular, is very fragile. The country’s air force has only 8 Mig-29 single-engine fighter jets and about 60 F-7 fighter jets. On the other hand, the strength of the Indian Air Force, a neighbouring country of Bangladesh, is ranked fifth in the world after the departure of the former Bangladesh government, Yunus took over as the head of the country’s interim government and took steps to strengthen the army further. The most significant step is the purchase of new fighter jets. Bangladesh Air Force Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmud said that Bangladesh will soon purchase fifth-generation fighter jets. But now Bangladesh has paid special attention to purchasing American weapons. This article will explore Bangladesh is buying of US fighter jets.
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Why American fighter jets?
Since its independence, Bangladesh has been dependent on India, China, and the European Union for arms imports. Also, considering the country’s economic situation, it was not possible to import arms from the USA. However, times have changed, and Bangladesh now has the 35th largest economy in the world. Although the country cannot spend a tremendous amount of money on improving its army due to its large population, the country’s army is still getting stronger day by day. Since the reputation of American arms is known all over the world, the current government and the army chief have focused on importing arms from America.
Recently, some influential news channels in India have claimed that Bangladesh is secretly purchasing warplanes used by the US military from America. Notable among them are the American F-16 fighter jets and F-15 Eagles. In addition, discussions are underway with Lockheed Martin, the largest military equipment manufacturer in the United States, to purchase more than twenty Attack helicopters.
The quality and accuracy of American weapons are much better than those of any other country. Since Bangladesh is a developing country with a tiny budget allocated to the military sector, the country is thinking about purchasing fighter jets that can be in service until 2040 or 2050. In this case, the American-made F-16 and F-35 may be the best options.
Possibility of purchasing F-35 fighter jets
Among all the advanced fighter jets in the world today, the F-35 is at the top. The main reason for this is its stealth capability, which is capable of evading any radar and can be easily monitored from the enemy’s sky. The importance of this fighter jet in the context of Bangladesh is immense. If the US government wants to sell this fighter jet to Bangladesh, then the country’s government should purchase this fighter jet at any price. If a country like Bangladesh gets its hands on a fifth-generation fighter jet, it will be able to dominate its neighbouring countries.
But only America’s closest allies can buy this fifth-generation fighter jet. Even NATO countries like Turkey and Greece could not buy this fighter jet, and America did not agree to sell this fighter jet to them. Moreover, these fighter jets are costly, and maintenance costs are skyrocketing. Therefore, a country like Bangladesh may not be able to buy this fighter jet from America. The main reason for this is that although the country’s relations with America are good, this relationship did not last long in the past. Moreover, the country’s economic situation is not like that of the developed countries of the world, which can easily spend 10 to 20 billion dollars as a military budget.
Possibility of purchasing F-16s fighter jets
The most tested fighter jet in the world’s history is the American-made F-16, which is basically a fourth or 4.5-generation fighter jet. Many countries worldwide are currently using this fighter jet, including Turkey, Israel, Pakistan, Taiwan, and the Netherlands. The United States has achieved great success using these fighter jets in anti-terrorist operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a result, the market for this fighter jet continues to grow rapidly around the world.
The price of this American-made fighter jet is much lower than that of other fighter jets, and the maintenance cost is not sky-high. As a result, developing countries can purchase this fighter jet and keep it in their service for a long time. Since Bangladesh’s neighbouring countries do not use US weapons and do not have fifth-generation fighter jets, Bangladesh can purchase this fighter jet if it wants, which will greatly increase the capacity of the country’s air force.
Bangladesh’s current diplomatic relations with America make it easy to purchase these fighter jets. In the past, America has sold these fighter jets to many countries that later engaged in various activities against America. So, at first glance, Bangladesh will be able to purchase these fighter jets from America very quickly. Also, since the country’s economy is not very strong, the old F-16 fighter jets could be a good option.
Probability of purchasing F-15 Eagle
This fast fighter jet, made by the United States, is very popular worldwide. America has used this fighter jet in almost all anti-terrorist operations, including the elimination of ISIS terrorists from Iraq. Nations such as Saudi Arabia, Israel, Japan and the United Arab Emirates are the primary purchasers of this fighter jet, and it is predicted that these aircraft will remain in service for the air forces of these nations until 2035.
It is very easy to purchase this fighter jet, given the level of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and America. On the other hand, Bangladesh’s ambition is to produce a fighter jet that can serve the air fleet until 2040. Again, some sources say that Bangladesh wants to purchase a fifth-generation fighter jet that can serve the country’s air force until 2060. Since this fighter jet has no more service time, Bangladesh will not make much progress towards purchasing this fighter jet.
In conclusion
Considering all the days, Bangladesh is certain to buy US-made fighter jets very soon. However, it is not yet certain which US fighter jet Bangladesh will buy. The most likely option is to buy the US-made F-16 fighter jet because Bangladesh’s economy is not very strong, and America’s diplomatic relations with Bangladesh are not very deep.