US clears way for $24.3 billion fighter jet sale to Saudi Arabia

The U.S. Department of State said on Thursday it had approved the potential sale of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom is drawn deeper into war in the Middle East.

A sale would mark a significant policy shift from the U.S., potentially altering the balance of military power in the Middle East and testing Washington’s definition of maintaining its ally Israel’s “qualitative military edge.”

Saudi Arabia made a direct appeal for the jets in early 2025 to U.S. President Donald Trump and has long been interested in Lockheed Martin’s fighter.

The estimated $24.3 billion sale, which still needs congressional approval, would include 48 of the military aircraft and 49 Pratt & Whitney engines along with communications equipment, spare parts and other support items, the State Department said.

Washington weighs weapons sales to the Middle East in a way that ensures Israel maintains a “qualitative military edge”, effectively guaranteeing that Israel gets more advanced U.S. weapons than regional Arab states.

The Saudi embassy in Washington welcomed the proposed sale, describing it as a further step in defense cooperation between the two countries.

“The proposed F-35 sale reflects the strength and enduring nature of the Saudi-U.S. strategic partnership and the continued advancement of our defense cooperation,” the embassy said on X.

The F-35, built with stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy detection, is considered the world’s most advanced fighter jet. Israel has operated the aircraft for a decade, building multiple squadrons, and remains the only Middle Eastern country to possess the system.

Saudi Arabia, the largest customer for U.S. arms, has sought the fighter for years as it looks to modernize its air force and counter regional threats, particularly from Iran. The kingdom’s renewed push for what would constitute two squadrons comes as the Trump administration has signaled openness to deepening defense cooperation with Riyadh. The Saudi Air Force flies a mix of fighter aircraft including Boeing F-15s, European Tornados and Typhoons.

The F-35 issue has also been intertwined with broader diplomatic efforts. The administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden previously explored providing F-35s to Saudi Arabia as part of a comprehensive deal that would have included Riyadh normalizing relations with Israel, though those efforts ultimately stalled.

Trump has made arms sales to Saudi Arabia a priority since returning to office. In 2025, the United States agreed to sell the kingdom an arms package worth nearly $142 billion, which the White House called “the largest defense cooperation agreement” Washington has ever done.

Congressional scrutiny could pose challenges to any F-35 sale. Lawmakers previously questioned arms deals with Riyadh following the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and some members of Congress remain wary of deepening military cooperation with the kingdom.

Saudi Arabia is pursuing ambitious economic and military modernization plans under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 agenda. It has sought to diversify its defense partnerships while maintaining its decades-long security relationship with Washington.

美国国务院周四表示，已批准向沙特阿拉伯出售洛克希德·马丁公司的F-35“闪电II”战斗机，因为沙特王国正被卷入中东战争的漩涡中。

此次出售将标志着美国政策的重大转变，可能会改变中东的军事力量平衡，并考验华盛顿对维持其盟友以色列“质量军事优势”的定义。

沙特阿拉伯在 2025 年初直接向美国总统唐纳德·特朗普提出购买战机的请求，并且长期以来一直对洛克希德·马丁公司的战斗机很感兴趣。

据美国国务院称，这笔预计价值 243 亿美元的军售案仍需国会批准，将包括 48 架军用飞机、49 台普惠发动机以及通信设备、备件和其他支持物品。

华盛顿在权衡对中东的武器销售时，会确保以色列保持“质量军事优势”，从而有效地保证以色列获得比地区阿拉伯国家更先进的美国武器。

沙特驻华盛顿大使馆对这笔拟议的军售表示欢迎，称其为两国国防合作的又一举措。

“拟议的F-35出售反映了沙特与美国战略伙伴关系的牢固性和持久性，以及我们防务合作的持续推进，”大使馆在X上表示。

F-35战斗机采用隐身技术，能够躲避敌方探测，被认为是世界上最先进的战斗机。以色列已装备该型战机十年，组建了多个中队，至今仍是中东地区唯一拥有该系统的国家。

沙特阿拉伯是美国武器的最大客户，多年来一直寻求采购这款战斗机，以期实现空军现代化并应对地区威胁，尤其是来自伊朗的威胁。沙特再次提出采购该型战斗机，目标是组建两个中队。与此同时，特朗普政府也表示愿意深化与利雅得的防务合作。沙特空军目前装备多种战斗机，包括波音F-15、欧洲“旋风”和“台风”战斗机。

F-35战机问题也与更广泛的外交努力交织在一起。美国前总统乔·拜登的政府此前曾探讨向沙特阿拉伯提供F-35战机，作为一项包括利雅得与以色列关系正常化在内的全面协议的一部分，但这些努力最终陷入停滞。

自特朗普重返白宫以来，他一直将对沙特阿拉伯的武器销售列为优先事项。2025年，美国同意向沙特出售价值近1420亿美元的武器，白宫称之为华盛顿有史以来“规模最大的防务合作协议”。

国会的审查可能会给任何F-35战机的出售带来挑战。此前，在沙特记者贾迈勒·卡舒吉2018年遇害后，一些议员就曾质疑与利雅得的军售交易，一些国会议员仍然对深化与沙特的军事合作持谨慎态度。

沙特阿拉伯在王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼的“2030愿景”计划下，正积极推进雄心勃勃的经济和军事现代化进程。在努力实现防务伙伴关系多元化的同时，沙特也力求维持与华盛顿长达数十年的安全关系。