US State Department Approves Possible $24.3 Billion F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia Covering Up to 48 Jets

The US State Department has formally approved a possible foreign military sale to Saudi Arabia for F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and related equipment, with an estimated total value of $24.3 billion. The department notified Congress of the determination, a required step in the foreign military sales process before any transaction is finalized.

The package covers up to 48 F-35 aircraft, marking what would be the first sale of the advanced stealth fighter to the kingdom. In its notification, the State Department said the proposed sale would support US foreign policy and national security objectives by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally it described as a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region.

Saudi Arabia would join Israel as the only Middle Eastern operator of the F-35, though Israel remains the sole foreign country permitted to modify the aircraft. The deal is the latest development in a broader US-Saudi defense and economic relationship that has included discussions of a $1 trillion Saudi investment pledge in the United States.