The United States officially pitched Lockheed Martin’s F-21 fighter jet to the Indian Air Force (IAF), rekindling interest in one of India’s most anticipated defense acquisitions—the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program. The offer wasn’t just about another fighter jet; it was part of a broader strategic and industrial proposal. Lockheed’s narrative? A fighter “For India, From India,” with plans to manufacture the aircraft on Indian soil in partnership with the TATA Group.
But while policymakers and defense analysts in Delhi debate the jet’s capabilities, few recall that the “F-21” designation was once used by the U.S. military four decades ago—for an entirely different aircraft, and under very different circumstances. That earlier F-21 wasn’t American-made. It was Israeli.
The F-21 being offered today is not an entirely new aircraft but a deeply customized variant of the F-16 Block 70, one of the most successful and widely used fighter platforms in military aviation history. However, Lockheed Martin has tailored this model specifically for the Indian Air Force. The jet integrates a sophisticated suite of avionics inspired by fifth-generation platforms like the F-35 Lightning II and the F-22 Raptor.
According to Lockheed, the F-21 :
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APG-83 AESA radar
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Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system
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Large Area Display using 5th-generation technology
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Probe/drogue and boom refueling compatibility
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Conformal fuel tanks for extended range
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12,000-hour service life
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Triple Missile Launch Adapter for increased firepower
The F-21 is described as having 40% more air-to-air weapon-carrying capability than earlier F-16s. It’s pitched not just as a machine but as an ecosystem—an economic and strategic commitment to India’s defense manufacturing ambitions under the “Make in India” initiative.
Lockheed Martin’s competitors include Dassault’s Rafale (already in limited IAF service), Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, Saab’s Gripen E, Russia’s MiG-35, and Eurofighter Typhoon. But Lockheed believes its F-21 has a unique proposition: it’s a fighter that will be built in India, potentially transforming India into an aerospace hub for future exports.
While the new F-21 has been in the headlines, the designation itself is a re-run. In 1985, the United States Navy and Marine Corps quietly inducted 25 fighter jets from Israel, re-designated as F-21A. These weren’t stealthy, multi-role jets. They were Kfirs—a Hebrew word meaning “young lion”—built by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI).
Born from necessity and ingenuity, the Kfir was Israel’s answer to the arms embargo placed on it by France following the Six-Day War in 1967. The French Mirage 5 was the backbone of Israeli air strategy at the time, but with delivery blocked, Israel reverse-engineered the Mirage to develop the Nesher, and then refined it further into the Kfir—a true symbol of self-reliance.
By 1975, the Kfir entered Israeli service, but it wasn’t long before it found its way to the U.S.—not as an offensive weapon, but as a training adversary.
In the early 1980s, the U.S. Navy and Marines were looking to improve their air-combat training. At the time, their adversary simulation aircraft included the A-4 Skyhawk, F-5 Freedom Fighter, and the T-38 Talon. These jets were aging and had limited ability to mimic the performance of Soviet fighters, particularly the fast and powerful MiG-23 Flogger.
While the Navy hoped to get F-16s for this role, the U.S. Air Force had first claim over the limited supply of these new jets. The Navy and Marines needed a stop-gap—fast.
That’s when Marvin Klemow, a senior representative for IAI in the U.S., saw an opportunity. Israel was retiring a fleet of Kfir C.1s. Klemow proposed that these be leased to the U.S. military for use in dissimilar air combat training (DACT). Pentagon officials agreed.
In 1984, a three-part agreement was signed:
- Free Lease: The Kfir jets would be leased at no cost to the U.S.
- Maintenance Assurance: The aircraft would be kept in IAF-standard condition to allow reactivation by Israel in times of need.
- Reciprocity: The U.S. Navy would provide Israel with access to some American weapons under a similar lease arrangement.
By April 29, 1985, the first of 25 Kfirs arrived at NAS Oceana in Virginia. They were re-designated F-21A, and split between two squadrons:
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VF-43 (Fighter Squadron 43) of the U.S. Navy based at NAS Oceana
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VMFT-401 (Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401) at MCAS Yuma, Arizona
In their new roles, the F-21As were tasked with simulating Soviet MiG aircraft. The Kfir’s flight profile—fast acceleration, high-speed performance, and relatively simple avionics—made it ideal for mimicking the MiG-23.
Captain John Manning, then head of Navy Fighter Wing 1, praised the Kfir’s ability to challenge even the U.S.’s top fighters. “It could defeat an F-14 Tomcat in level acceleration. It pushed our pilots to the edge,” he once said.
But the Kfirs were never used in combat by the U.S. They were strictly tools for preparing American pilots for the next big war—a war that, thankfully, never came. By 1988, the Navy had retired the aircraft, replacing them with F-16N Fighting Falcons. The Marines followed suit in 1989, returning to F-5Es for adversarial training.
The story of the Kfir begins with betrayal—or at least, a sense of it. After Israel paid for 50 Mirage 5J fighters from France, the post-1967 arms embargo left the jets undelivered. Rather than plead or wait, Israel turned inward.
They reverse-engineered the Mirage 5 to create the Nesher and then evolved that design into the more advanced Kfir. While externally similar to the Mirage 5, the Kfir featured:
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American-made GE J79 engine (also used in the F-4 Phantom)
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Elta EL/M-2001 radar
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DEFA 553 cannons (30mm)
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Capability for Western missiles, including AIM-9 Sidewinder, AGM-65 Maverick, and Shrike
With a top speed of 1,520 mph, a service ceiling of 58,010 feet, and a climb rate of 46,000 feet per minute, the Kfir was fast and agile. Though it lacked the fly-by-wire precision of later fighters, it was a significant leap for Israel’s domestic aerospace industry.
Ironically, the Kfir saw limited combat under Israeli command. One confirmed air-to-air kill was recorded on July 27, 1979, when a Syrian MiG-21 was downed by a Kfir escorting reconnaissance aircraft over Lebanon.
Despite limited combat usage, the Kfir was exported successfully:
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Colombia: Operated upgraded Kfir C.10 variants
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Ecuador: Used Kfirs during border tensions with Peru
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Sri Lanka: Used in air strikes against Tamil Tiger insurgents
The aircraft’s modular design and adaptability made it a good fit for countries seeking affordable multirole fighters.
Today, the story of the original F-21 is largely forgotten, overshadowed by more modern platforms and recent geopolitical shifts. But it remains a unique chapter in U.S. military history—the only time America fielded an Israeli-made fighter jet under its own designation.
It also highlighted the symbiotic relationship between American and Israeli defense industries. The lease agreement not only gave the U.S. a much-needed training tool but also deepened strategic ties with Israel at a time when Cold War tensions demanded adaptable and fast solutions.
Fast forward to 2025, and the F-21 designation is again in the spotlight—this time as a symbol of industrial cooperation, defense diplomacy, and military modernization. Unlike its namesake, the modern F-21 is very much a Lockheed Martin product, built on American engineering, but with Indian defense needs and aspirations at its core.
Lockheed Martin says it will move the entire manufacturing line to India if the deal is finalized—potentially a game-changer for Indian aerospace. The company has already signed an agreement with the TATA Group, and there is talk of making India a hub for future exports of the F-21 to other countries.
India’s MRFA program, which seeks 114 fighter jets, comes at a time of rising border tensions with China and Pakistan, as well as growing demands on the IAF for rapid-response capability, deep-strike potential, and maritime patrol readiness. The aging MiG-21 fleet—ironically sharing a numerical designation with the Kfir’s first kill—must be replaced.
The F-21 may not be a fifth-generation stealth aircraft, but it offers enough in terms of survivability, weapons flexibility, and affordability to make it a compelling choice. Moreover, its proposed domestic production can fuel India’s ambition to reduce foreign dependence and build a world-class defense manufacturing sector.
In two completely different timelines and contexts, the F-21 designation has tied together Israeli innovation, American strategy, and Indian aspirations. The first F-21 came quietly, served briefly, and left little behind but a story of Cold War improvisation. The second F-21 arrives with marketing flair, deep geopolitical implications, and the promise of reshaping India’s airpower future.
Whether the IAF chooses Lockheed’s offering or not, the F-21 story is now richer—blending forgotten history with the possibilities of tomorrow. And in that, perhaps, lies the deeper value of the name itself: a bridge between eras, ideas, and ambitions.
