And, most strikingly, Mr Trump said they were “paving the way” to supply India with the F -35, which is currently restricted to American allies. That only intensified manoeuvring among military officials and arms-makers in Bangalore.

At first glance, the photograph of two fighter jets — one parked on the tarmac and other zooming past it in the air — appears entirely commonplace.

India's MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the US is reviewing its policy on releasing fifth-generation fighter aircraft, including the F-35, to India, as mentioned in the India-US joint statement.