The US Department of State has approved the potential sale of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia, an estimated $24.3 billion deal. This includes 48 F-35 aircraft and 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, along with communications equipment, spare parts, and other support items. The State Department stated that this proposed sale would not alter the military balance in the region and would improve Saudi Arabia's ability to deter current and future threats, strengthening its homeland defense and enhancing interoperability with US and NATO forces.
However, this proposed sale has been met with warnings from US intelligence agencies, including a detailed assessment by the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). These agencies have expressed concerns that the sale could create risks of Chinese access to sensitive American military technology, particularly the F-35's advanced radar and surveillance systems, through espionage or Saudi Arabia’s existing military and security ties with Beijing. The DIA assessment highlighted concerns about Chinese military access to Saudi facilities and Riyadh's use of Chinese telecommunications technology, questioning whether F-35-related technology could be adequately secured and if Saudi Arabia would accept restrictions on contact with Chinese personnel or remove Huawei and ZTE equipment.
The approval marks a significant step in deepening the US-Saudi security channel, though past approvals for advanced platforms to Gulf buyers have faced delays or blocks at the congressional stage, often over end-use and regional military edge considerations. The principal contractors for this sale will be Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines. While the State Department has approved the potential sale, a congressional notification window is still required before any letter of offer and acceptance is signed. Similar concerns previously affected a proposed F-35 sale to the United Arab Emirates, which was ultimately halted due to concerns about their ties with China.
