US says it will sell up to 48 F-35s to Saudi Arabia

Submitted by Sean Mathews on Thu, 09/17/2026 - 19:44 The Trump administration has been working on the sale for months, but the key announcement comes as the kingdom battles Yemen's Houthis

An Israeli F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft does a flyover during an air show in Tel Aviv, on 26 April 2023 (Jack Guez/AFP) Off

The US State Department has notified Congress that it plans to sell Saudi Arabia up to 48 F-35 warplanes, in a move that has been widely opposed by Israel.

The historic sale could total $24.3bn and would mark the first time an Arab state gains access to the US’s fifth-generation jet fighter.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region,” the State Department said in a statement on Thursday.

Middle East Eye has reported on the progress of the sale for months, with multiple US and Arab sources saying it was moving quickly.

MEE revealed in November that Saudi Arabia’s F-35 purchase would be “fast-tracked” under a new defence partnership with the US, sealed during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the White House.

MEE then revealed in December that the Trump administration was conducting a review of Israel's qualitative military edge (QME) as part of the process. Senior US military officials held several closely guarded meetings on Capitol Hill to discuss the sale at the start of the year.

Saudi Arabian Defence Minister Khaled bin Salman visited the US multiple times this summer, in part to ensure the deal went through, US officials told MEE.

While the sale has been in the works for months, the State Department’s public announcement comes at a critical time for the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia is reeling from Houthi missile and drone attacks while its allies in Yemen, the internationally recognised government, are struggling to stem a Houthi offensive that has resulted in them securing the entirety of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, along with the Arabian Gulf side of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The announcement is a defeat for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who campaigned against selling F-35s to Saudi Arabia.

Concerns in intelligence community

The concept of an Israeli QME over Arab militaries goes back to the Cold War.

Trump administration reviewing Israel's 'military edge' as it eyes Gulf arms deals, sources say Read More »

In 1979, the US brokered a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, then the Arab world's dominant military power alongside Iran. Egypt's peace with Israel was underwritten by the promise of US military aid, which Israel wanted to ensure was inferior to the weapons it received.

In 2008, Congress codified Israel's QME into a law that also mandated periodic assessments of US arms sales to Arab states. The F-35 can be downgraded or upgraded based on packages like radar and stealth features, similar to how buyers can choose different trim levels of a car.

Israel has unparalleled access to the F-35 and even modified the warplane with additional fuel capacity to conduct long-range attacks on Iran without the need for refuelling, MEE revealed.

US officials told MEE that Saudi Arabia would purchase F-35s without all the enhancements Israel has, but what modifications it will entail is likely to be extremely guarded.

The sale has irked some members of the US defence and intelligence community who believe China will gain access to critical US technologies if Saudi Arabia operates the warplane.

One day before the State Department’s announcement, The New York Times published a story citing US officials raising those concerns.

Inside Saudi Arabia News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0