An Air Force F-35A Lightning II flies over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Sept. 10, 2026. The State Department approved a potential $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. (Adriana Jordan-Alcaniz/U.S. Air Force)
The White House is moving forward with a deal that could make Saudi Arabia only the second country in the Middle East, after Israel, to acquire advanced F-35 fighter jets, following a State Department approval Thursday.
The sale faces congressional review amid concerns it could erode Israel’s military advantage and expose sensitive F-35 technology to China, which has growing ties with Saudi Arabia, including through the kingdom’s use of Chinese-made Huawei technology.
The proposed $24.3 billion deal includes the delivery of four dozen F-35 Lightning II fighter jets and 49 engines to the Saudis, the State Department said in a news release.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region,” the statement said.
Beyond its stealth capabilities, the fifth-generation fighter combines advanced sensors and network-enabled systems designed to give pilots greater awareness of threats and allow them to share battlefield information with other forces, according to an Air Force fact sheet on the aircraft.
Israel became the first country outside the United States to operate the aircraft, receiving its first two jets in 2016. The Israeli air force later used the aircraft in combat for the first time in 2018.
President Donald Trump publicly announced plans to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia in November, shortly before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Washington.
Around the same time, the Israeli military submitted documents to the country’s political leadership opposing the prospect of Saudi Arabia acquiring the jets, warning that the acquisition could diminish Israel’s air superiority in the region, according to Ynet.
Saudi Arabia is not the only Persian Gulf state to pursue the aircraft. In 2021, the United Arab Emirates suspended talks with the administration of then-President Joe Biden over a proposed $23 billion U.S. arms package announced during Trump’s first term.
Those negotiations had also raised concerns over the UAE’s relationship with China and the potential exposure of the jet’s sensitive technology.
Despite the ongoing controversy, the State Department on Thursday said the Saudi sale would “not alter the military balance in the region” and would have no “adverse impact” on national defense.
The sale is intended to “deter current and future threats” by fortifying Riyadh’s domestic defense capabilities and improve Saudi Arabia’s joint military relations with U.S. and NATO forces, the statement added.
