US Clears Potential $24.3bn F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia

The United States has approved a potential $24.3 billion sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, opening the way for one of the country’s largest proposed purchases of advanced American military aircraft.

The U.S. Department of State approved the possible sale on September 17, 2026. The package would include 48 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft, 49 Pratt & Whitney engines, communications equipment, spare parts and other support.

The approval comes as Saudi Arabia is becoming more deeply involved in a wider regional conflict involving Yemen and Iran-backed Houthi forces. Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia and the Houthis exchanged fresh attacks this week, with the fighting contributing to a broader deterioration in regional security.

However, the announcement does not mean the aircraft are being delivered immediately. The proposed transaction remains subject to the U.S. congressional review process.

What the Proposed Deal Includes

The estimated $24.3 billion package covers 48 F-35 aircraft and 49 engines, together with communications equipment, spare parts and other support items.

The F-35 Lightning II is a stealth combat aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The aircraft is designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions and incorporates advanced sensors and communications systems.

The proposed Saudi package also includes training and logistical support, according to reporting on the congressional notification.

The size of the package means its value covers considerably more than the aircraft themselves.

Why the F-35 Is Significant

The F-35 is among the most advanced fighter aircraft operated by the United States and its international partners and customers.

Its combination of stealth, sensors, communications and weapons capabilities is intended to allow pilots to detect and engage targets while reducing the aircraft’s visibility to opposing radar systems.

Saudi Arabia has sought access to the aircraft for years.

The kingdom made a direct request for the F-35 to U.S. President Donald Trump in early 2025, and Trump announced in November 2025 that Washington intended to sell the aircraft to Saudi Arabia. The latest State Department approval moves the proposal into a formal arms-sale process.

Congress Still Has a Role

The State Department’s approval is an important step, but it does not by itself complete the transaction.

Congress receives formal notification of major U.S. arms sales and has a period in which lawmakers can review the proposed transfer.

That means the $24.3 billion figure should currently be described as the estimated value of a potential sale, rather than money already spent or a completed contract.

The distinction is important because congressional review can raise questions about the strategic, technological and human-rights implications of proposed arms transfers.

Israel’s Military Position Is a Key Issue

The proposed sale also raises questions about the longstanding U.S. policy of maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East.

Israel currently operates F-35 aircraft and has been the only Middle Eastern country to operate the aircraft. A Saudi acquisition would therefore give another major regional military power access to the same basic fighter platform.

The State Department said in its notification that the proposed sale would not alter the military balance in the region.

That is the U.S. government’s stated assessment of the transaction. Israeli concerns about maintaining its military advantage have nevertheless been reported as part of the wider debate surrounding the proposed sale.

Saudi Arabia’s Defence Modernisation

The F-35 proposal fits into Saudi Arabia’s broader effort to modernise its armed forces.

The kingdom has been purchasing and seeking advanced military equipment from the United States while developing its domestic defence industry under its wider Vision 2030 programme.

The proposed F-35 purchase would add a highly advanced fighter capability to Saudi Arabia’s existing military inventory.

The State Department said the proposed sale would strengthen Saudi Arabia’s ability to deter current and future threats, improve homeland defence and increase interoperability with U.S. and allied forces.

Those are the stated U.S. government objectives for the transaction rather than an independent assessment of its eventual military effect.

The Regional Security Context

The proposed sale arrives during a period of heightened military tension across the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia has recently exchanged strikes with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement. Reuters reported on September 17 that Saudi airstrikes targeted areas of Yemen while Houthi attacks involved missiles and drones directed toward Saudi territory.

The escalation has also contributed to a humanitarian crisis in Yemen, with more than 100,000 people displaced according to Reuters reporting.

The timing of the F-35 announcement therefore gives the proposed sale added regional significance, even though the aircraft would not provide an immediate response to the current fighting.

Concerns About Advanced U.S. Technology

Another issue surrounding the proposed transaction is the protection of sensitive U.S. military technology.

Saudi Arabia has developed closer defence and military relationships with China in recent years, raising questions about how Washington would protect sensitive technologies supplied through advanced weapons systems.

Reuters reported that the U.S. administration has considered such issues as part of its review of the proposed transfer. The State Department has said that U.S. defence sales undergo legal and strategic assessments designed to protect American military technology.

The existence of these concerns does not mean sensitive technology would be compromised. They are part of the security considerations surrounding the proposed sale.

What Happens Next?

The next major stage is congressional review.

If the proposed sale clears that process and the necessary agreements are completed, the United States and Saudi Arabia would then move toward implementation, including contracting, production, training and eventual delivery.

That process would take time.

The proposed purchase also does not mean Saudi Arabia would immediately receive 48 operational F-35s. Aircraft production and delivery would occur according to the terms and schedules established if the transaction is ultimately concluded.

A Major Test for US-Saudi Defence Relations

The proposed F-35 sale represents a significant development in U.S.-Saudi defence relations.

For Saudi Arabia, the aircraft would provide access to one of the most advanced fighter platforms in the U.S. military export system.

For Washington, the proposed transaction links defence cooperation with a strategically important Gulf partner at a time of heightened regional tensions.

The proposal now faces the formal steps required before it can become an actual arms transfer.

For that reason, the immediate question is no longer whether Washington has approved consideration of the sale, but whether the proposed $24.3 billion package will complete the remaining stages and ultimately result in Saudi Arabia receiving the F-35.