DOMINANT ANGLE
The United States government is backing Riyadh: the State Department has notified Congress of the sale of 48 F-35s for $24.3 billion, fulfilling a 10-month-old presidential promise.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The State Department notified Congress on Thursday of the potential sale of up to 48 F-35A aircraft to Saudi Arabia, a contract worth up to $24.3 billion, including 49 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, training and support.
- 02
Donald Trump announced the sale in November, before a visit by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White House; this would be the first delivery of F-35s to the kingdom.
- 03
The Hill reports that the approval comes despite concerns expressed by defense officials and lawmakers, without specifying their nature.
ANALYSIS
The United States government, on September 18, 2026, notified Congress on Thursday of its approval for the potential sale of up to 48 stealth F-35A fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a contract that could reach $24.3 billion. The package, reported by Bloomberg, covers Lockheed Martin aircraft, 49 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, as well as associated training and logistical support. This would be the very first delivery of F-35s to the Saudi kingdom, a file that Riyadh has been carrying for several years.
Bloomberg recalls that Donald Trump himself announced this sale in November, offering Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "a trophy he had long coveted," on the eve of the latter's visit to the White House. The transaction, still subject to Congressional review now officially notified, thus appears as the culmination of a personal presidential commitment rather than a sole bureaucratic logic.
The Hill, which estimates the contract at $24 billion, emphasizes that this approval comes "despite concerns from defense officials and lawmakers," without specifying the nature of these reservations or the names of the concerned elected officials. The Defense & National Security newsletter from the media presents the news as the highlight of the day in Washington's security relations in the Middle East.
The Saudi file is also, according to Bloomberg, part of a broader movement of the American military-industrial complex: the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin are accelerating in parallel the production of a new classified air-to-air missile intended for US Air Force and US Navy fighters, deemed "vital to deter China." Asked by the channel, Wayne Sanders, senior defense analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, situates the sale of F-35s to Riyadh in the continuity of an armament relationship built over years, rather than as a sudden strategic shift.
For the United States, this contract, if it passes the Congressional stage, would confirm the F-35 as the cornerstone of American arms sales policy in the Gulf, and would fulfill a presidential promise expected by Riyadh for nearly a year.
