Planned deal with Saudi Arabia: USA wants to sell Saudi's F-35 fighter jets

dpa | Despite protests in Israel, the US government approves the billion-dollar sale of 48 modern F-35 stealth jets to Saudi Arabia. In a statement to the US Congress it was said that the State Department had approved the planned sale of fighter jets and accessories, including military training for them, with a total value of around 24.3 billion US dollars (currently around 21.2 billion euros). President Donald Trump announced the controversial deal at the end of last year without giving any details about the scope.

So far, the state-of-the-art stealth fighter jets in the Middle East have only been delivered to the close US ally Israel. The announcement of the arms deal last year was met with criticism in view of the tensions between Israel's government and Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Ministry's statement on Thursday (local time) said that the sale to the Sunni kingdom "will not change the military balance in the region."

Saudi Arabia's air force is currently flying combat missions in neighboring Yemen to support the local government in the fight against the Shiite Houthi militia. However, it is still unclear when the ultra-modern fighter jets can actually be delivered to the United States-allied kingdom. Comparable arms deals often extend over a period of many years.

Germany, for example, ordered a total of 35 of the fighter jets in 2022. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to take delivery of the first of these jets today in Fort Worth, Texas, from the defense company Lockheed Martin. The remaining F-35s are scheduled to be delivered gradually until 2029.

The stealth jet is currently considered the most modern combat aircraft in the world. Because of its special shape and external coating, the machine is difficult to detect by enemy radar. However, there is still criticism of the aircraft: the complexity of the technical systems leads to high maintenance costs.

Saudi Arabia has traditionally been one of the largest buyers of US weapons. In recent years, however, there has been occasional resistance in the US Parliament to arms deliveries to the kingdom - among other things because of its involvement in the Yemen war.

There has been a ceasefire there since 2022 that limited the conflict. Since July there has been intense fighting again in the country in the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula. The Houthis are also attacking targets in Saudi Arabia and tankers belonging to the world's largest oil exporter around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which is part of the important sea route to Asia.