Trump Administration Clears $24.3 Billion F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia, Raising Questions Over Israel’s Military Edge and China
The Trump administration has taken a major step toward selling advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, with the US State Department approving a potential $24.3 billion Foreign Military Sale. The proposed package covers 48 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II aircraft, 49 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, communications equipment, spare parts, training, logistics and other support. The approval was formally notified to Congress on September 17, 2026.
The announcement does not mean that Saudi Arabia has already received the aircraft. Congressional review remains part of the US arms-sales process, meaning lawmakers can scrutinize the proposal before the administration moves toward finalizing the transaction. Even if ultimately approved, delivery of the fighters would take years rather than happen immediately.
The F-35 is a fifth-generation multirole fighter built around stealth, advanced sensors, electronic warfare capabilities and networked operations. For Saudi Arabia, acquiring 48 aircraft would represent a substantial technological upgrade to an air force that already operates American F-15s as well as European Tornado and Typhoon fighters. Riyadh has pursued the F-35 for years as part of its military modernization and efforts to strengthen its ability to respond to regional threats, particularly those involving Iran and its allies.
The timing is particularly significant because Saudi Arabia is currently facing heightened security challenges in the region. Fighting involving Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has intensified, while the broader Middle East conflict has increased concerns over missile attacks, air defence and the security of major energy and shipping routes. Recent reports have also described Saudi efforts to obtain greater US military assistance as the conflict develops.
One of the central controversies is Israel’s long-standing US-backed qualitative military edge, commonly known as QME. Israel is currently the only country in the Middle East operating the F-35, and Washington has historically treated the protection of Israel’s technological and military advantage as an important consideration when selling sophisticated weapons to other countries in the region. US law requires the government to consider whether major arms transfers could adversely affect Israel’s qualitative military edge.
The State Department has nevertheless argued that the proposed Saudi F-35 transfer would not alter the military balance in the region. The department said the sale would strengthen Saudi Arabia’s ability to deter threats, improve homeland defence and increase interoperability with the United States and allied forces. That position is at the centre of the debate because the F-35’s stealth and sensor capabilities make it qualitatively different from many conventional fighter aircraft already operated by regional states.
Another major concern involves Saudi Arabia’s relationship with China. US intelligence officials have reportedly examined whether Beijing could potentially obtain sensitive information about F-35 technology through espionage, access to Saudi military facilities or existing Chinese-Saudi technology and security relationships. These concerns have added a separate layer to the congressional debate beyond the question of Israel’s military advantage.
The China issue is particularly sensitive because the F-35 contains highly advanced technologies and operates as part of an extensive network of sensors, communications systems and mission data. US officials therefore have an interest not only in the aircraft itself but also in the security of the facilities, networks and personnel that would support Saudi F-35 operations. Similar concerns have previously complicated proposed F-35 cooperation involving other Middle Eastern partners.
Saudi Arabia’s human-rights record is another issue likely to receive congressional attention. US lawmakers have previously scrutinized arms transfers to Riyadh, particularly following the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Reuters reported that some members of Congress remain cautious about expanding military cooperation with the Saudi government.
For Washington, however, the proposed sale also fits into a much broader effort to deepen the US-Saudi security relationship. The Trump administration has made closer defence cooperation with Riyadh a major priority. In 2025, Washington and Riyadh announced an arms and defence cooperation package valued at nearly $142 billion, described by the White House as the largest defence cooperation agreement between the two countries.
For Riyadh, the F-35 request is part of a larger military modernization strategy associated with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 agenda. Saudi Arabia has traditionally depended heavily on Western defence suppliers but has also sought to diversify its international partnerships. The kingdom’s growing defence relationships with countries including China have consequently become an important consideration for Washington as it evaluates the transfer of sensitive American military technology.
The proposed transaction could therefore become an important test of how Washington balances several competing objectives: strengthening Saudi Arabia’s defence capabilities, maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge, protecting sensitive US military technology and preserving long-term American influence in the Gulf. The administration has emphasized the security benefits of the sale, while critics in Congress and elsewhere are expected to focus on the risks associated with advanced technology transfer and regional military balance.
If completed, Saudi Arabia would become the second Middle Eastern country to operate the F-35 after Israel and the first Arab country to receive the aircraft. That would make the eventual delivery, rather than merely the current US approval, an important milestone in the evolution of the Middle East’s military landscape.
The immediate next stage is congressional scrutiny. The State Department’s approval has opened the formal path for the proposed $24.3 billion transaction, but the aircraft have not yet been delivered and the deal remains subject to the US arms-transfer process. The coming congressional review will therefore be closely watched for indications of how Washington intends to reconcile Saudi Arabia’s demand for the F-35 with Israel’s military advantage, concerns about Chinese access to sensitive technology and continuing debate over US-Saudi defence relations.
