U.S. Clears Possible $24.3 Billion Saudi F-35 Sale for Congressional Review

A major proposal has entered congressional review—not a completed delivery

WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department said Thursday that it approved a possible $24.3 billion Foreign Military Sale of F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft and related equipment to Saudi Arabia, moving one of the kingdom's most consequential weapons requests into formal congressional review.

The proposed package includes 48 F-35 aircraft, 49 Pratt & Whitney engines, secure communications and navigation systems, spare parts, training and other support items, according to the State Department announcement described by Reuters and the Associated Press.

The word possible matters. The notification does not establish that Congress has completed its review, that a final contract has been signed, that $24.3 billion has been paid or that any aircraft has been delivered. The government did not announce a delivery timetable.

The estimate covers far more than 48 airframes

The headline figure is an estimated ceiling for an extensive military package, not a simple per-jet price. In addition to the aircraft and engines, the proposal includes equipment, parts, training and logistical support required to operate and sustain the system.

Lockheed Martin builds the F-35, while Pratt & Whitney, a unit of RTX, produces its F135 engine. Reuters reported that the 49 engines would accompany the 48 aircraft, with the additional engine forming part of the broader package.

Final quantities, prices and delivery arrangements can change during negotiations and contracting. Thursday's action authorizes the proposal to move forward through the U.S. process; it is not evidence that every listed item will ultimately be purchased at the maximum announced value.

Israel's military edge is now a central policy test

Israel is currently the only country in the Middle East operating the F-35. Reuters said the proposal may test Washington's longstanding commitment to preserve Israel's qualitative military edge as the United States expands defense cooperation with Saudi Arabia.

The State Department said the proposed sale would improve Saudi Arabia's ability to deter threats, defend its territory and operate alongside U.S. forces. It also said the transfer would not alter the regional military balance. Those are the administration's policy assessments; Congress may scrutinize them rather than treat them as settled facts.

Saudi Arabia has sought the aircraft for years. The kingdom's embassy welcomed Thursday's announcement as another step in U.S.–Saudi defense cooperation, Reuters reported. That support does not eliminate the statutory review or concerns lawmakers may raise about regional security, human rights or protection of sensitive technology.

The fighter proposal is separate from the civil nuclear agreement

The aircraft notification arrives while Congress is also reviewing a separate 30-year U.S.–Saudi civil nuclear-cooperation agreement. Four House Democrats introduced a resolution seeking to block that agreement earlier Thursday.

The two matters involve different legal frameworks, technologies and congressional procedures. Approval of a possible F-35 sale does not authorize a Saudi nuclear weapon, and the nuclear agreement does not itself approve the transfer of fighter aircraft.

Readers should also distinguish the administration's weapons-sale approval from an affirmative vote by both chambers of Congress. Thursday's confirmed development is the State Department's approval and notification—not a completed transaction or aircraft arrival in Saudi Arabia.

What happens next

Congress can examine the proposal and may attempt to stop or condition it. Lawmakers have previously challenged U.S. arms transfers to Saudi Arabia, including over the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and broader human-rights concerns.

If the proposal survives review, negotiations and contracting would still have to follow before production and delivery. Training, infrastructure and security arrangements would also shape when Saudi forces could operate the aircraft.

The next material checkpoints are any congressional resolution or hold, a finalized contract and a confirmed delivery schedule. Claims that Saudi Arabia has already received 48 F-35s go beyond the evidence available Thursday night.

About the image

The accompanying photograph shows a U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II from the 33rd Fighter Wing flying beside an F-22A over Florida on September 19, 2012. Master Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock took the photograph as part of his official duties, placing it in the public domain in the United States.

It is an authentic file photograph used to identify the aircraft type. It does not show a Saudi aircraft, the proposed sale, a congressional proceeding, training, contracting or delivery.