Washington announced on Thursday, September 17, that it has approved a possible sale worth $24.3 billion of F‑35 Lightning II fighter jets and associated equipment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi officials have asked for 48 F‑35 aircraft equipped for conventional take‑off and landing, together with 49 Pratt & Whitney F135‑PW‑100 engines. The package also includes a spare engine and a suite of support items covering communications, navigation, electronic warfare, training, maintenance and logistics.
The U.S. State Department said the transfer would bolster Riyadh’s ability to meet security challenges and deepen military cooperation with Washington. It added that the jets would enhance Saudi homeland‑defence capabilities, improve interoperability with U.S., regional and NATO forces, and expand the kingdom’s air‑to‑air and air‑to‑ground self‑defence options.
According to the department, the sale will not upset the regional military balance, nor will it affect U.S. defence readiness or require additional U.S. government or contractor personnel in Saudi Arabia. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines are identified as the principal contractors.
The notification has been forwarded to Congress for review before the deal can be finalised. The State Department indicated it is not aware of any offset agreement linked to the proposed sale.
Saudi interest in the F‑35 dates back several years. A direct request was made to President Donald Trump in early 2025, and the Biden administration later considered the aircraft as part of broader diplomatic talks on possible Saudi‑Israeli normalisation, though no agreement emerged. Trump subsequently voiced support for the sale as Washington seeks to strengthen its defence ties with Riyadh.
Israel remains the only Middle Eastern nation currently operating the F‑35, making the prospective Saudi acquisition noteworthy. The deal follows a 2025 U.S.‑Saudi defence package valued at nearly $142 billion, described by the White House as the largest defence cooperation agreement in U.S. history. It also arrives amid renewed hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi movement, which have escalated in recent months.
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📰 Source: Siasat Gulf