ع
The State Department detailed the proposed package as including 48 F-35A Lightning II aircraft with conventional takeoff and landing along with 49 Pratt and Whitney engines plus support equipment, training and spare parts. Officials described the transaction as advancing American interests by bolstering the defenses of a key Gulf partner that promotes regional stability and economic development. The department emphasised that Saudi Arabia would face no difficulty integrating the jets and that the sale would not shift the existing military balance across the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia first expressed interest in the advanced stealth fighters several years ago but encountered resistance in Washington partly because of legal requirements to preserve Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region, according to a Reuters assessment of past negotiations. President Donald Trump signalled approval for the transfer in November 2025 ahead of a White House visit by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, framing Saudi Arabia as a vital ally that had supported recent operations against Iranian targets. A subsequent arms package worth nearly $142 billion was concluded earlier, underscoring the kingdom’s position as the largest buyer of American weapons.
A series of internal intelligence assessments have questioned whether Saudi facilities housing the jets could be adequately protected from Chinese espionage or technology sharing given Riyadh’s expanding security ties with Beijing, a New York Times investigation reported this week. The Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency produced one detailed study months ago that examined Chinese military access to Saudi bases and the prevalence of Chinese-made telecommunications equipment from firms such as Huawei and ZTE in Saudi infrastructure. Earlier more general warnings appeared in a 2025 report that similarly highlighted risks tied to the partnership between the two countries.
Analysts within the intelligence community have specifically cautioned that advanced radar and surveillance features on the F-35 could be compromised either through direct spying or by Saudi Arabia’s cooperation with Chinese entities on missile technology and other defence projects, according to officials cited in the Times account. The assessments recommended that only American and Saudi personnel be granted access to sensitive sites, yet they expressed doubts about Riyadh’s willingness to sever broader links with Beijing. Such concerns have persisted even as the Trump administration moved the proposal through interagency reviews and informal congressional channels earlier this year.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, voiced strong objections to the notification on Thursday. He warned that proceeding with the transfer could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party. Other Democratic lawmakers and some defence officials have echoed those worries, pointing to the possibility that sensitive data might reach China through the existing security relationship between Riyadh and Beijing.
Congress now has 30 days to review the formal notification and could attempt to block the sale through a joint resolution, although overriding a presidential veto would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers, a Bloomberg Law summary of the process indicated. Previous arms deals with Saudi Arabia faced scrutiny on Capitol Hill after the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, with lawmakers questioning the overall relationship during the Biden administration. That earlier White House had linked any F-35 approval to Saudi normalisation with Israel, an effort that stalled after the October 2023 Hamas attacks and subsequent Gaza conflict.
Any final agreement would deliver jets that lack certain advanced modifications and electronic warfare capabilities provided to Israel, in keeping with longstanding policy to maintain Tel Aviv’s edge, a Reuters examination of the proposed terms found. Israel has operated the F-35 for eight years and has integrated its own systems, giving it operational experience that Saudi Arabia would take time to match. The Pentagon and State Department have reiterated that the sale aligns with broader efforts to strengthen Gulf security amid ongoing regional tensions including the conflict in Yemen.
