Trump administration approves sale of F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia

The deal, which still needs approval from Congress, comes as Riyadh seeks Washington’s help in its war with Yemen’s Houthis.

The US has said that the sale of the F-35s to Saudi Arabia would 'not alter the military balance in the region' [File: Leon Neal/Getty]

United States President Donald Trump’s administration has asked lawmakers to clear the sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia for an estimated $24.3bn.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region,” the State Department said in a statement on Thursday.

list 1 of 3 Fighting continues between Yemen gov’t forces, Houthis: What is the latest?

list 2 of 3 Saudi Arabia promises to respond to Houthi attacks ‘firmly’

list 3 of 3 Five killed as Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis trade attacks

The administration said the sale of the jets, the most advanced fighter aircraft the US has, would “not alter the military balance in the region” in keeping with longstanding US policy that Israel must have a military edge over potential regional adversaries.

The announcement comes after the Houthis in Yemen claimed on Wednesday they shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib, a key city in their battle against Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. The group released video of fighters in the city standing before burning wreckage of what appeared to be a US-made F-15 fighter jet with Saudi Arabian markings.

The Houthis claim the aircraft was shot down with a “locally made” surface-to-air missile, which would mark a dramatic change in the group’s ability to wage war in the area. Until now, Saudi Arabia’s military has enjoyed relative air superiority in Yemen, and has relied heavily on its ability to carry out air strikes in the neighbouring country.

Intensifying fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis reportedly killed at least five people, including three children, on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia has unsuccessfully sought to have Washington play a more direct role in the kingdom’s conflict with Houthi forces. The US has said it will not directly intervene in the conflict between the Iran-backed Houthis, Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

Washington also has concerns about potential Chinese espionage related to the jets.

The New York Times reported this week that US intelligence analysts have raised the possibility that Beijing could acquire F-35 technology through its partnerships with Riyadh.

US congressional Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democratic member of the House Intelligence Committee, expressed opposition to the sale on those grounds.

The deal should not go ahead “when our own intelligence community is warning that it could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense agreement, dubbed the Mecca Agreement, with Pakistan and Turkiye last month, a sign the countries are seeking ways to provide for mutual defence that relies less on Washington.

Saudi Arabia has long sought to buy F-35s, but officials from Israel – the only country in the region with the fighter jets – have voiced concern about their sale to Riyadh despite a push for the kingdom to normalise relations. Turkiye, a NATO member that took part in a multi-country development of the F-35 jets, has been barred from receiving the aircraft since 2019 after it purchased anti-aircraft missiles from Russia.

该协议仍需国会批准，而此时利雅得正寻求华盛顿帮助，以对抗也门胡塞武装。

美国表示，向沙特阿拉伯出售F-35战机“不会改变该地区的军事平衡”[图片：Leon Neal/Getty]

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普的政府已要求国会批准向沙特阿拉伯出售 48 架 F-35 战斗机，预计价值 243 亿美元。

美国国务院周四在一份声明中表示：“这项拟议的军售将通过改善一个主要非北约盟友的安全来支持美国的外交政策和国家安全目标，该盟友是海湾地区政治稳定和经济发展的推动力量。”

列表 1/3 也门政府军与胡塞武装之间的战斗仍在继续：最新情况如何？

沙特阿拉伯承诺“坚决”回应胡塞武装的袭击（共3条，此为第2条）

列表 3/3：沙特阿拉伯和也门胡塞武装互相袭击，造成五人死亡

美国政府表示，出售这些美国最先进的战斗机“不会改变该地区的军事平衡”，这符合美国长期以来的政策，即以色列必须在军事上对潜在的地区对手拥有优势。

此前，也门胡塞武装周三声称，他们在马里卜上空击落了一架沙特阿拉伯制造的F-15战斗机。马里卜是胡塞武装与沙特支持的也门政府军交战的关键城市。该组织发布了一段视频，视频显示，城内一些武装人员站在一架疑似美国制造、带有沙特阿拉伯标志的F-15战斗机的燃烧残骸前。

胡塞武装声称这架飞机是被一枚“本地制造”的地对空导弹击落的，这将标志着该组织在该地区的作战能力发生重大变化。此前，沙特阿拉伯军队在也门拥有相对的空中优势，并严重依赖其对邻国也门进行空袭的能力。

据报道，沙特阿拉伯和胡塞武装之间日益激烈的战斗于周四造成至少五人死亡，其中包括三名儿童。

沙特阿拉伯一直试图让华盛顿在沙特与胡塞武装的冲突中发挥更直接的作用，但未能成功。美国则表示，不会直接干预伊朗支持的胡塞武装、沙特阿拉伯和沙特支持的也门政府之间的冲突。

华盛顿方面也担心中国可能利用这些战机从事间谍活动。

《纽约时报》本周报道称，美国情报分析人士提出，北京有可能通过与利雅得的合作获得 F-35 技术。

美国国会众议员、众议院情报委员会民主党成员拉贾·克里希纳穆尔蒂基于这些理由对此次出售表示反对。

克里希纳穆尔蒂在一份声明中表示：“鉴于我们自己的情报部门警告称，这项交易可能会使美国军事技术的瑰宝落入中国共产党手中，因此这项交易不应该继续进行。”

沙特阿拉伯上个月与巴基斯坦和土耳其签署了一项共同防御协议，即《麦加协议》。这表明这些国家正在寻求减少对华盛顿依赖的共同防御方式。

沙特阿拉伯长期以来一直寻求购买F-35战机，但以色列——该地区唯一拥有该型战机的国家——的官员对向利雅得出售F-35战机表示担忧，尽管以色列一直敦促沙特与以色列实现关系正常化。土耳其是北约成员国，曾参与F-35战机的多国联合研发，但自2019年从俄罗斯购买防空导弹后，土耳其就被禁止接收该型战机。