US State Dept approves $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia

[Asfandyar Bhittani]

Al Arabiya English
Published: 17 September ,2026: 09:45 PM GST
Updated: 17 September ,2026: 09:45 PM GST

The US State Department has approved a potential $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets and related equipment to Saudi Arabia, according to a congressional notification issued on Thursday.

The proposed sale includes 48 F-35 aircraft and 49 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, along with associated equipment, training and logistical support.

The State Department said the sale would strengthen Saudi Arabia’s ability to deter current and future threats, bolster its homeland defense and improve interoperability with US and other allied forces.


It added that the proposed sale would enhance the Kingdom’s air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities and would not alter the military balance in the region.

US President Donald Trump had announced in November 2025 that Washington intended to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia. The potential sale would mark the first delivery of F-35s to Saudi Arabia.

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Israeli attempt to link everything Saudi attempts to buy or build, like nuclear energy, with normalization has been thwarted at state dept this time but let's see if this goes through ZOG controlled congress or not.

 

[maxpane]

waste of money total waste of money

 

[Watandar]

$25 billion dollars is some serious cash.

 

[atmi_bum]

Israeli attempt or link everything Saudi attempts to buy or build, like nuclear energy, with normalization has been thwarted at state dept this time but let's see if this goes through ZOG controlled congress or not.

There is no ZOG-controlled Congress; that's a myth. Besides, the Saudis spend way more money on lobbying than the Israelis, so there should be no objection to the sale.

waste of money total waste of money

The Saudis have one thing: money, and if they can waste it, they will. What they can't do is use it properly.

 

[Asfandyar Bhittani]

There is no ZOG-controlled Congress; that's a myth. Besides, the Saudis spend way more money on lobbying than the Israelis, so there should be no objection to the sale.

Saudis can spend a billion trillion dollars but if majority of the politicians are in the zionist lobby's pocket for 5 bucks, that's ZOG. What matters is the control.

According to just one Zionist lobby itself.
It backed
"361 candidates:
75% of House members 84% of Senators
326 AIPAC-endorsed candidates won their general elections in 2024"

Policy & Politics: Keeping Israel Safe and Congress Pro-Israel

AIPAC is leading the political fight to keep Congress pro-Israel and working with pro-Israel leaders in Washington to advance critical policies to help keep Israel safe.

www.aipac.org

A popular US president barely gets 50-55% of seats/votes.

 

[KAL-EL]

There is no ZOG-controlled Congress; that's a myth. Besides, the Saudis spend way more money on lobbying than the Israelis, so there should be no objection to the sale.

The Saudis have one thing: money, and if they can waste it, they will. What they can't do is use it properly.

Agreed! The supposed ZOG Congress is a myth.

 

[Asfandyar Bhittani]

Bruh, I genuinely don’t understand the Saudis or the fauj on this. If Saudi invested even $2–5B directly into Pakistan’s defense industry, we could massively expand production of systems like Fatah-2/Fatah-4 and build real domestic capability.

I also haven’t seen much tangible Saudi investment into major Pakistani industries or projects. So what exactly are we getting from this defense pact? What are the Saudis going to do with F-35s that they already can’t do with their Typhoons and F-15s? $24B is serious cash, amazing for America, but where are we in all of this?

Are we actually strategic partners, or are we just supposed to provide soldiers to fight their wars and be used as cannon fodder? Because if that’s the case, I genuinely don’t understand what the fauj is thinking. A strategic partnership should mean serious economic, industrial and technological benefits for Pakistan too.

FYI hate all the fauji grifters now. Stop peddling propaganda 24/7.

Can you list the 5th gen fighters KSA can buy as soon as possible and that also link well with rest of their systems?

Answer- There are none.

Just like Pakistan will eventually go for J-35A and not KAAN from our Islami baradar mulk no matter how many ertugrul shows are forced upon the population.

It isn't to say Pakistan or KSA may not get a squadron or two of other 5th gen fighters 15 years from now, but for the foreseeable future, the choices are fixed by historical investment both have made in the last few decades.

Saudis don't have the technological base to gamble like Turkey did with S-400 and got ejected and went for KAAN. It knows it can't build it's own 5th gen fighters just like we can't. Not until going the Tejas (obsolete by the time of delivery) route.