Trump Administration Clears $24.3 Billion F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia, Raising Questions Over Israel’s Military Edge and China Technology Risks
The Trump administration has taken a major step toward a potential $24.3 billion sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, with the U.S. State Department approving a package involving 48 F-35 Lightning II aircraft, 49 Pratt & Whitney engines and associated communications, spare-parts, training and logistical support. The proposed transaction was formally notified to Congress on September 17, 2026, but it is not yet a completed sale.
The decision represents a significant development in Washington’s defense relationship with Riyadh. Saudi Arabia has sought the F-35 for years as part of efforts to modernize its air force and strengthen its ability to respond to regional threats, particularly those involving Iran and Iran-aligned groups. The kingdom already operates a substantial fleet that includes U.S.-made F-15s as well as European fighter aircraft.
The F-35 is a fifth-generation multirole fighter built by Lockheed Martin and incorporates stealth, advanced sensors, electronic warfare capabilities and highly integrated communications systems. Bringing the aircraft into Saudi service would substantially expand the kingdom’s access to advanced U.S. combat-aircraft technology and, if completed, would make Saudi Arabia the first Arab country to operate the F-35.
The proposed sale is controversial primarily because of Israel’s longstanding qualitative military edge in the Middle East. U.S. law requires the administration to determine that major arms sales to Middle Eastern countries other than Israel will not adversely affect Israel’s qualitative military edge. The law specifically requires consideration of how a proposed transfer could change the strategic and tactical balance and what additional capabilities Israel might need to respond.
Israel is currently the only country in the Middle East operating the F-35. Israeli officials have previously expressed concerns about providing the same basic fifth-generation aircraft capability to Saudi Arabia, while U.S. officials have maintained that the proposed arrangement would not alter the regional military balance. The State Department said the sale would strengthen Saudi Arabia’s homeland defense and interoperability with U.S. and allied forces.
Another major concern involves China. U.S. intelligence officials have reportedly raised the possibility that sensitive F-35 technology could be exposed to Chinese espionage through Saudi Arabia’s growing military, technological and security relationships with Beijing. A reported Pentagon Defense Intelligence Agency assessment examined Chinese access to Saudi facilities and the use of Chinese technology in parts of the kingdom’s telecommunications infrastructure.
The technology-security issue is particularly important because the F-35 incorporates highly sensitive U.S. military systems. Washington previously removed Turkey from the F-35 program after Ankara acquired Russia’s S-400 air-defense system, citing concerns that the Russian system could compromise F-35 technology. The Saudi case therefore raises questions about how the United States will protect the aircraft’s technology while expanding cooperation with Riyadh.
The deal also faces political scrutiny in Congress. Lawmakers have previously challenged U.S. arms transfers to Saudi Arabia over concerns involving the kingdom’s human-rights record, including the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Congressional scrutiny now comes alongside the newer national-security concerns surrounding Israel’s military edge and the possibility of Chinese access to advanced American technology.
For Saudi Arabia, the F-35 request is part of a broader effort to strengthen and diversify its military capabilities while maintaining its longstanding security relationship with Washington. Riyadh has also expanded defense relationships with other countries as it pursues the military and economic modernization goals associated with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 program.
The timing is also significant because Saudi Arabia is facing an increasingly complicated regional security environment. Recent fighting involving Yemen’s Houthis and attacks affecting Saudi interests have increased pressure on Riyadh to strengthen its air-defense and military capabilities. The U.S. administration has presented the F-35 package partly in terms of improving Saudi Arabia’s ability to deter and defend against current and future threats.
Despite the State Department’s approval, the aircraft will not immediately arrive in Saudi Arabia. The proposal still has to pass through the congressional review process, and even if lawmakers do not block it, production, contracting, training and delivery of such advanced aircraft would take years. The current announcement therefore clears a major U.S. government hurdle rather than representing an immediate transfer of 48 operational F-35s.
The proposed sale consequently sits at the intersection of three major U.S. strategic priorities: strengthening the Saudi-American security partnership, maintaining Israel’s legally protected qualitative military edge, and preventing sensitive U.S. defense technology from reaching China. How Washington addresses those competing considerations during congressional review and subsequent negotiations will determine the eventual form and conditions of any F-35 agreement with Riyadh.
