Overview
- Saudi Arabia has requested roughly 48 aircraft, and news reports say the proposal has cleared a key Pentagon policy review.
- Selling the fifth-generation jets would make Riyadh the first Arab operator and trigger U.S. legal obligations to preserve Israel’s qualitative military edge.
- U.S. intelligence and Pentagon analysts have raised concerns that Saudi ties with China could expose sensitive F-35 technology, recalling limits placed on Turkey and the UAE.
- Congressional Democrats and other lawmakers are expected to scrutinize or seek to block the transfer over human rights issues and regional security implications.
- Even if approved, deliveries would take years due to production, training and legal steps, and this week’s meetings are expected to also address security guarantees and a civil nuclear framework.