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

[Pakistanithinktank]

Chinese would have offered them much better deal and deliver the goods within 5 years.

 

[Samurai]

We can build 25 modern hospitals in Pakistan.

Which will never going to happen, even if we some how get 25 billion $ and it will eventually end up in peoples pockets.

 

[lightning f57]

This deal has a way to go before it becomes reality.

Trumps admin is not reliable but lets say they fully support this like they did the UAE $20bn F35 deal, Biden blocked it.

Dems will likely take power in next presidential election, leader likely anti Israel but may not be so warm with SA too. This deal could get blocked then.

 

[Watandar]

 

[Oldenwisdom...قول بزرگ]

Chinese would have offered them much better deal and deliver the goods within 5 years.

Does it matter?

This is cost of protection racket and nothing else...
It also underscores the pitfalls of an alliance with Saudis with US gear. None of this equipment and others purchased previously are accessible to both Turkiye and Pakistan... Pakistan more so... because it uses competing technologies.
Second, imagine what Pakistan could have delivered for half as much in critical infrastructure, R&D, manufacture and deployment... things that can actually make a difference in a war... not white elephants or shiny toys you keep under wraps for fear of loss, damage or technology transfer. These are deeper questions that actually undermine the defense pact... where Saudis are running a proxy war on behalf of the empire and US is actively refusing participation... because Yemen delivers a strategic trap more profound than the solution available to undo it, that is not only effective in both cost and lives.
What is there indeed that prevents Saudis from making good with Houthis... while they actively have a roadmap for peace with zion... a roadmap to Palestinian state and Abraham Accords. They certainly don't need the F 35s against Yemen... and are already slated to be a defunct technology for more effective solutions in both cost and efficacy. Look at what Turkiye has managed without Saudi resources in loyal wingman... kizilelma and beyond.

 

[Watandar]

I am seeing posts about Saudi paying $500 million per plane which is like 400% over the cost. Why is that ? Even with customizations for Saudi, the plane will not cost THAT much. Are bribes to Trump to launch a renewed military operation against Yemen and Iran the reason for the inflated cost of these F-35's ?

 

[UKBengali]

500 million US dollar a plane is simply protection money, even with training and weapons package included.

 

[UKBengali]

Chinese would have offered them much better deal and deliver the goods within 5 years.

J-35 would be a much better fighter due to higher service ceiling, superior stealth and also better manoeuvrability.

It would also have the massive advantage of being able to engage Zionist F-35s that the US supplied F-35s would never be able to to.

 

[Pakistanithinktank]

I am seeing posts about Saudi paying $500 million per plane which is like 400% over the cost. Why is that ? Even with customizations for Saudi, the plane will not cost THAT much. Are bribes to Trump to launch a renewed military operation against Yemen and Iran the reason for the inflated cost of these F-35's ?

It’s painfully clear that Saudi leadership still refuses to think strategically when it comes to defending their own territory. They default to outsourcing every serious security challenge, sometimes to the French, sometimes to the Americans, sometimes to Pakistan, instead of building the capacity to stand on their own feet.

This dependency isn’t strength; it’s complacency. When you’re drowning in wealth, it’s easy to convince yourself that you don’t need to fight your own battles because you can simply pay others to do it. That mindset breeds weakness. It creates a system where the first instinct is to hire foreign manpower, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, whoever, instead of developing a self‑reliant defense structure.
Even if Saudi gets the F-35, alone they can’t survive 72 hours against Israel.

 

[SolarWarden]

I am seeing posts about Saudi paying $500 million per plane which is like 400% over the cost. Why is that ?

Because that is only what the hating ignoramus wants to see while the actual detail of the sale is in front of their faces.

 

[NGAD IS THE BEST]

Because that is only what the hating ignoramus wants to see while the actual detail of the sale is in front of their faces.

You're looting the world but especially rich Muslim countries charging several times higher than NATO and US military