U.S. approves sale of 48 F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Saudi Arabia has long sought to buy F-35s, but officials from Israel — the only country in the region to operate the jets — have voiced concern. File | Photo Credit: AP

The United States has approved a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 stealth warplanes and related equipment to Saudi Arabia, the U.S. State Department announced on Thursday (September 17, 2026), in a significant boost to the kingdom's forces.

Saudi Arabia has long sought to buy F-35s, but officials from Israel — the only country in the region to operate the jets — have voiced concern about their sale to Riyadh despite a push for the kingdom to normalise relations.

"The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia's capability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defense, and improving interoperability with US forces," the State Department said in a statement.

It "will also augment Saudi Arabia's operational aircraft and enhance its air-to-air, and air-to-ground self-defense capability," it added.

The State Department has notified Congress about the proposed sale, which would require the approval of U.S. lawmakers.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.