Trump admin approves sale of stealth F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.

[ghazi52]

Trump admin approves sale of stealth F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. Here’s why it’s controversial​

Laura Sharman, Oren Liebermann

Personnel work on US Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jets at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base in January, 2026.
Eva Marie Uzcategui/Reuters

The Trump administration has approved a potential multi-billion-dollar sale of stealth F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a move that would bolster the Gulf ally’s military, even as it threatens to shift the balance of power in the Middle East.

The US State Department announced the proposed sale of the most advanced American fighter jet – the Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft - and related equipment, worth an estimated $24.3 billion, according to a statement on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia is a major purchaser of US weapons, including F-15 fighter jets, and the Gulf state has long sought to join the F-35 program.

However, the sale still needs approval from Congress, where some members are wary of deepening military cooperation with Saudi Arabia given the kingdom’s ties to China. Even if the sale is approved, delivery of the fighter jets would be years away.

The proposed sale would make Saudi Arabia only the second country in the Middle East to operate the advanced stealth fighters alongside Israel, significantly upgrading the Saudi air force and potentially altering the balance of military power across the region.

 

[ghazi52]

In November, when President Donald Trump said he would be selling the jets to the Saudis, an Israeli security source said it was “very concerning” for Israel if Riyadh acquired the fifth-generation fighter jet. “The severity is not exaggerated,” the source told CNN. “It is not good (for Israel).”

But the US dismissed Israeli concerns. “The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the military balance in the region,” the State Department said.

The sale was also supposed to be linked to Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel, which would give the two countries open lines of communication as well as handing Trump a foreign policy win. But Trump appears to have abandoned the requirement for normalization, instead focusing on billions in arms sales.

Saudi Arabia requested 48 of the fighter jets with conventional takeoff and landing, plus 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, the State Department statement said.

 

[ghazi52]

During the first Trump administration, the US advanced plans to sell F-35s to the United Arab Emirates. But the deal ultimately fell apart during the Biden administration over concerns about military cooperation between the UAE and China. Analysts say the same concerns exist with Saudia Arabia and China, but the Trump administration has moved forward with the sale regardless.

The news comes just days after Saudi oil facilities and military bases came under attack by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in an escalation that threatens to widen the region’s conflicts.

The Saudi-Houthi conflict, which flared up again in July, has seen Houthi drones and missiles attack the kingdom’s oil complexes, disrupting operations and threatening supply routes amid concerns about oil prices.

 

[Hussain]

at $500m a pop, what does the pkg include?

There were rumors that a customized version was in the works for a middle eastern client, was this it?

 

[Archer Archer]

I presume most people here will bebpleased with this news. Given Pakistan's closeness to the Saudis, PAF will get to fly, fly against and evaluate those aircrafts. Big Setback for India.

And whats up with this outregious price? 500 million a pop!!! Is it a political bribe?