US State Department Approves Sale of 48 F-35 Jets to Saudi Arabia

The U.S. State Department has officially approved the sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a deal valued at $24.3 billion. The package also includes 49 Pratt & Whitney engines, communication equipment, and maintenance parts.

In a notification to Congress, the department stated the sale would not alter the military balance in the Middle East. Instead, it is intended to enhance Saudi Arabia's ability to deter threats by strengthening its homeland defense and improving cooperation with U.S. forces, other regional partners, and NATO. The sale aims to increase Saudi Arabia's operational aircraft fleet and bolster its self-defense capabilities in air-to-air and air-to-ground combat.

This major arms deal was initially announced by former President Donald Trump in November of the previous year, just before he hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House. At the time, the announcement was seen as a setback for Israel, which has concerns about advanced aircraft sales to other Middle Eastern nations potentially compromising its air superiority. Israel had hoped such a deal would be linked to a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia.

Adding a layer of concern, a recent report in The New York Times cited U.S. intelligence officials warning that if the U.S. proceeds with selling advanced stealth fighters like the F-35 to Saudi Arabia, China could exploit its deep ties with the Kingdom to spy on the associated secret technology. According to the report, even before Trump's announcement of willingness to sell, the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) had published an internal report highlighting the risk of Chinese espionage.