The Trump administration has approved a potential $24.3 billion sale of up to 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, clearing a major hurdle for Riyadh’s long-standing effort to acquire the advanced U.S.-made aircraft. The State Department approved the potential Foreign Military Sale on Thursday and notified Congress, according to the Financial Times and a State Department notice. The package includes 48 F-35A Lightning II aircraft, 49 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, communications equipment, spare parts, training and other support.
The State Department said the proposed sale would strengthen Saudi Arabia’s ability to deter current and future threats, bolster its homeland defense and improve interoperability with U.S. and allied forces. The department also said the proposed sale would not alter the military balance in the region. If completed, the deal would make Saudi Arabia the first Arab country to operate the F-35 and only the second country in the Middle East after Israel to receive the aircraft. The proposal could face scrutiny in Congress, particularly over concerns about protecting sensitive U.S. military technology and Saudi Arabia’s expanding defense relationship with China.
