Trump says US will sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia despite China concerns

US President Donald Trump on Monday said that he intends to move forward with the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, even as national security officials warn that the deal could expose advanced American technology to China, Associated Press reported.

“We will be doing that, we’ll be selling F-35s,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that the Saudis “want to buy them, they’ve been a great ally”.

His comments came a day before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the White House. This is the crown prince’s first trip to the United States in more than seven years. During the visit, US and Saudi officials are expected to discuss Riyadh’s interest in buying 48 F-35 jets and a possible mutual defence agreement.

The F-35 is built mainly by Lockheed Martin, which produces 150 to 190 jets each year. Nearly 20 countries have purchased or ordered the aircraft, which typically cost between $80 million and $110 million apiece, depending on the model.

A 2024 report by the Government Accountability Office noted that maintaining the F-35 fleet over decades could become significantly more expensive than the upfront cost of the planes, according to a report by The New York Times.

US officials concerned about China accessing tech

Saudi Arabia has been the largest buyer of American weapons. But some national security officials are worried that giving Riyadh access to one of the US military’s most advanced stealth aircraft could benefit China. A recent report by the Defence Intelligence Agency warned that China might gain access to F-35 technology if the sale goes through, given the security ties between Saudi Arabia and Beijing.

The deal is also raising concerns about Israel’s “qualitative military edge”, a longstanding US policy to ensure Israel maintains superior military capabilities in the region. Israel is currently the only West Asia nation operating F-35 jets.

Before Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel had encouraged the Trump administration to normalise talks with Saudi Arabia. However, the prolonged conflict in Gaza has stalled those efforts. The Trump administration is not pressing for normalisation as a condition for approving the F-35 deal, the news report said.

Democrats are likely to object to Trump’s latest push to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia. But key Republicans, including Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, who leads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, are expected to support the sale. Many GOP lawmakers have backed previous Trump efforts to arm Saudi Arabia, arguing that it strengthens US efforts to counter Iran. the news report said.