# Washington clears a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia

The package includes 49 engines, cryptographic equipment and electronic warfare support, and now needs approval from Congress, where espionage concerns are already being raised.

- Published: 2026-09-18T05:18:24.383Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-09-18/washington-clears-a-24-3-billion-sale-of-48-f-35-jets-to-sau
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [Globes](https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001556922#utm_source=RSS), [BBC News Hindi](https://www.bbc.com/hindi/articles/c6qxvddzr2xqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss), [Middle East Monitor](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260917-us-state-department-approves-24-3b-f-35-sale-to-saudi-arabia/)

The State Department approved a possible sale of 48 F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia valued at $24.3 billion and notified Congress, [Middle East Monitor reported](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260917-us-state-department-approves-24-3b-f-35-sale-to-saudi-arabia/). The [department's own release](https://www.state.gov/releases/bureau-of-political-military-affairs/2026/09/kingdom-of-saudi-arabia-f-35-lightning-ii-joint-strike-fighter-aircraft) lists 49 Pratt and Whitney F135 engines, cryptographic equipment, electronic warfare support, training and logistics, and states that the sale serves American objectives by improving the security of a major ally outside the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Riyadh has sought the aircraft for years, and [BBC News Hindi noted](https://www.bbc.com/hindi/articles/c6qxvddzr2xqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) that the jet is widely regarded as the most advanced fighter in active service, which is why the request has been contested in Washington for so long. Israeli coverage focused on what the sale would change in regional military capability. [Globes examined](https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=1001556922#utm_source=RSS) which capabilities Saudi Arabia would gain beyond stealth (low detectability to radar), and reported in the same briefing that Iran has shot down at least two American unmanned aircraft in recent days, according to CBS.

Two objections shape the congressional fight ahead. American intelligence analysts have warned that Chinese access to F-35 technology could follow from Saudi Arabia's technology partnerships with Beijing, [as Breaking Defense reported](https://breakingdefense.com/2026/09/us-clears-24b-f-35-sale-for-saudi-arabia/). Separately, successive American administrations have committed to preserving Israel's qualitative military advantage, a commitment that a Saudi fifth-generation fleet tests directly.

The deal also shows how security relationships are being priced. Saudi Arabia is buying at a moment when Gulf shipping lanes are disrupted, its own export pipeline has been damaged, and Washington is asking regional partners for practical help reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

## What this means

A sale of this size locks Saudi Arabia into decades of American parts, software and training, which is leverage that works in both directions. Lockheed Martin and its suppliers gain a long production backlog, while Congress gains a recurring point of pressure over Riyadh's dealings with China. For Israel, the practical question is what compensating capability Washington offers, because that determines the next tranche of American security assistance.

## What to watch

- Whether Congress moves to block or condition the sale within the review period, the test of how much the espionage argument matters.
- Any American commitment of offsetting capability to Israel, which would show the qualitative edge doctrine being renegotiated rather than abandoned.
- Whether Saudi Arabia adjusts its Chinese technology partnerships as a condition of delivery.