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The US State Department has approved a possible $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, the department said in a statement on Thursday, in a deal that would significantly expand the kingdom's air combat capabilities.
The proposed package also includes 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, along with cryptographic equipment, electronic warfare support, and training and logistics packages, according to the formal notification sent to Congress.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, based in East Hartford, Connecticut, would serve as the principal contractors on the sale.
In its notification, the department framed the sale as advancing broader US strategic interests, saying it "will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region."
The department added that the transaction "will not alter the military balance in the region" and would not require the deployment of additional US government or contractor personnel to Saudi Arabia.
Under US law, members of Congress have 30 calendar days from the formal notification to review the proposed sale or raise objections before the administration can finalize the agreement.
Major foreign arms sales are routed through this congressional notification process, which allows lawmakers to block or delay deals, though such sales are rarely stopped outright once formally notified.
The F-35, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is a fifth-generation stealth fighter used by the United States and a number of allied nations.
Saudi Arabia has been a longtime purchaser of American-made military equipment and holds the status of a major non-NATO ally of the United States, a designation that facilitates closer defense cooperation and arms transfers.
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