Saudi Arabia Welcomes US Approval of $24.3bn F-35 Deal
The proposed package includes 48 F-35 fighter aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin, along with 49 Pratt & Whitney engines and other associated parts and equipment.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has approved a potential $24.3 billion sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, marking a major development in the longstanding defence relationship between Washington and Riyadh.
The proposed package includes 48 F-35 fighter aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin, along with 49 Pratt & Whitney engines and other associated parts and equipment.
Saudi Arabia’s Embassy in Washington said the proposed sale reflects the strength and enduring nature of the Saudi-US strategic partnership and the continued advancement of defence cooperation between the two countries.
The embassy said decades of Saudi-US security cooperation have contributed to regional stability, strengthened collective defence capabilities and advanced shared security interests.
Rising regional security concerns
The announcement comes amid heightened security concerns in and around the Arabian Peninsula. The Houthis have recently intensified attacks on targets in Saudi Arabia and launched a lightning ground offensive aimed at exercising control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically vital maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The developments have added to concerns over regional security and the protection of vital maritime and energy routes.
The Trump administration said the proposed F-35 package would help improve Riyadh’s capability to deter current and future threats, while stressing that it would “not alter the military balance in the region.”
That assurance reflects a longstanding US policy that Israel should maintain a qualitative military advantage over potential rivals in the Middle East.
A decades-old defence partnership
Defence cooperation has remained a central pillar of US-Saudi relations for decades. Washington has supplied Riyadh with advanced fighter aircraft, air-defence systems, weapons and other military equipment, while the two countries have maintained extensive security and defence cooperation.
The relationship has also experienced periods of tension over regional conflicts, Yemen, Iran and other foreign-policy issues. Despite those differences, defence cooperation has remained a significant component of the bilateral strategic relationship.
The proposed F-35 package would give Saudi Arabia access to one of the world’s most advanced combat aircraft and further expand the technological and military dimension of its partnership with Washington.
The deal would represent a significant addition to Saudi Arabia’s air capabilities at a time of heightened security tensions across the Middle East.
