The U.S. State Department on Sept. 17, 2026, approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of 48 F-35A Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, with an estimated cost of $24.3 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the potential sale the same day, starting a review period during which lawmakers can object before formal negotiations begin.
The package includes 48 conventional-takeoff F-35A aircraft and 49 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, one spare beyond the 48 needed to power the jets. It also covers secure communications and navigation equipment, electronic warfare support, training simulators, spare parts, and years of maintenance and logistics support. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, Texas, and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines in East Hartford, Connecticut, would be the main contractors.
The State Department’s notification said the sale would support U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region, strengthen Saudi Arabia’s homeland defense, and improve interoperability with U.S., regional, and NATO forces. It stated the kingdom would have no difficulty absorbing the equipment and that the sale would not alter the military balance in the region or require additional U.S. personnel in Saudi Arabia.
The approval follows nearly a year of signals from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump first said the U.S. would sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia in November 2025, ahead of a Washington visit by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, when the two countries also signed a Strategic Defense Agreement that included authorization for the F-35 sale and the purchase of nearly 300 M1 Abrams tanks. Trump repeated the commitment in March 2026, calling the F-35 “perhaps the most capable fighter jet ever built.”
The sale had drawn scrutiny inside the administration over concerns about preserving Israel’s qualitative military edge, a requirement Congress added to the Arms Export Control Act in 2008, and the risk that F-35 technology could eventually reach China. Those concerns also stalled a similar proposed sale to the United Arab Emirates. The notification came a day after Houthi forces claimed they shot down a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 over Marib governorate, the latest in a string of aircraft losses Riyadh has suffered during years of fighting in Yemen.
The Saudi embassy in Washington welcomed the proposed sale, describing it as a further step in defense cooperation. The notification is not a signed contract; it starts a review period during which Congress can object before formal negotiations between the U.S. and Saudi governments can begin. No offset agreement has been proposed yet; any such deal would be negotiated separately between Saudi Arabia and the contractors.
Sources: Defence Blog · The Aviationist