Based on reports from March 2026, the US government has approved the sale of F-35 stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia. This major deal includes 48 F-35A jets and is part of a larger, $142 billion defence arrangement with the kingdom, with deliveries expected to begin no earlier than 2029.
Following an internal review, the Pentagon cleared the request, and President Trump confirmed the decision, aiming to strengthen the US-Saudi alliance and reward Riyadh.
The deal involves 48 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters, which are considered to be the most advanced, lethal combat aircraft in the world. Deliveries are expected from 2029 onwards.
This deal is part of a nearly $142 billion arms package, often viewed as a 30-year “insurance policy” for the U.S.-Saudi alliance rather than an immediate response to current threats.
Some U.S. defense officials raised concerns about sensitive technology security regarding China. The F-35s sold to Saudi Arabia may be “downgraded” to maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region.
The decision shifts the air power balance in the Middle East, making Saudi Arabia only the second country in the region to operate these jets, after Israel
The decision was taken ahead of a visit to the United States by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who during previous visits to the country was assessed by analysts to have faced significant pressure to increase defence procurements from the United States.
The fighters are expected to replace the Royal Saudi Air Force’s fleet of ageing Tornado attack jets, and eventually possibly its small Eurofighter fleet.
The F-35 has previously only been marketed to NATO allies and a small number of non-NATO developed economies such as South Korea and Switzerland, with a sale to Saudi Arabia potentially marking a turning point in the program after which it is offered to a wider range of clients.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the Trump administration has been positively inclined towards approving sales to Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, with a policy shift potentially allowing for further sales to potential clients such as Indonesia and Thailand.
The loosening of restrictions on F-35 exports may be influenced by both the unfavourable trends currently affecting the U.S. economy, which would make tens of billions of dollars of additional export orders a highly welcome development. The expected fielding of F-47 sixth generation fighters by the mid-2030s is also likely to make baseline variants of the fifth generation F-35 appear less technologically sensitive.
Saudi Arabia has long been provided access to the United States’ most advanced military aircraft, having been one of just three countries to purchase the top U.S. Air Force fighter the F-15s during the Cold War alongside Japan and Israel, before being the first in the world to acquire a heavily modernised ‘4+ generation’ variant of the aircraft, the F-15SA, in the 2010s.
The loosening of export restrictions could have particularly detrimental impacts on European fighter programs, which have been able to achieve sales exclusively in countries which, for political reasons, have not been allowed to purchase the more sensitive F-35. It may also derail ongoing efforts by Boeing to market additional F-15s to the Royal Saudi Air Force.
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