US approves $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia

September 18, 2026 at 12:59 PM2 min

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The U.S. State Department approved a $24.3 billion Foreign Military Sale of 48 F-35A fighter jets and 49 engines to Saudi Arabia on September 17, 2026. The deal would make Saudi Arabia the first Arab country to operate the stealth fighter. Congress has 30 days to review the proposed sale.

Key Facts

The U.S. State Department approved the sale on September 17, 2026, covering 48 F-35A aircraft and 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines.
The total value of the Foreign Military Sale is $24.3 billion, equivalent to $506.25 million per aircraft.
Congress has 30 days to scrutinize or attempt to block the sale.
Saudi Arabia would become the first Arab country to operate the F-35, while Israel is moving toward 75 contracted F-35s and has approved a fourth squadron to reach 100.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois, opposed the sale, warning it could put American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party.

Sale Approval

The U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of 48 F-35A stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia in a $24.3 billion Foreign Military Sale on September 17, 2026. The package includes 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, with 48 installed and one supplied as a complete spare. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Pratt & Whitney are the principal contractors for the transaction. The State Department said the sale would support U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives.

Regional Balance

The approval follows Donald Trump's November 18, 2025 confirmation that Washington intended to sell F-35s to Riyadh and the February 11, 2026 appearance of a Saudi-marked F-35 mock-up at the World Defense Show. Saudi Arabia would become the first Arab F-35 operator, while Israel is moving toward 75 contracted F-35s and has approved a fourth squadron intended to raise its fleet to 100. The $24.3 billion package is unusually heavy because the support architecture for 48 F-35s must be created from scratch. The State Department noted that the F-35 sale would not change the military balance in the region.

Congressional Scrutiny

Congress has 30 days to scrutinize or attempt to block the $24 billion sale to Riyadh, the largest customer for U.S. weapons. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois, opposed the sale on Thursday, warning it could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party. Other Democratic lawmakers and some American defense officials have raised similar concerns that Riyadh might share sensitive technology with China under a security partnership between the two countries.