US clears $24.3 billion F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia: Why the deal matters and China factor explained

The Donald Trump-led US administration on Thursday approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of 48 F-35 Lightning 2 fighter aircraft and related equipment to Saudi Arabia at an estimated cost of $24.3 billion, news agencies reported.

The proposed sale includes 48 F-35 aircraft with conventional takeoff and landing capability and 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, including 48 installed engines and one spare engine, the US State Department said in its statement.

The package also includes secure communications, precision navigation and cryptographic equipment, electronic warfare database support, aircraft and munitions support equipment, spare parts, training equipment, simulators, software, technical documentation and logistics support, among other items.

What did the state department say?

The State Department said the proposed sale "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 proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defence, and improving interoperability with U.S. forces, and other regional and NATO forces," the statement read.

It added that the sale would "augment Saudi Arabia’s operational aircraft and enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defence capability."

The US State Department said the proposed sale "will not alter the military balance in the region."

Why does the deal matter?

Saudi Arabia has for years sought to buy the world's most advanced warplane, equipped with stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy detection, BBC said in its report

Washington had resisted, partly because it supplies F-35s to its ally Israel, which is guaranteed under US law to receive top-of-the-range American weapons compared with those its regional neighbours can access.

Congress has 30 days to scrutinise or attempt to block the $24bn sale to Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh is the largest customer for US weapons and the sale announcement comes amid US-Iran war that has had impact on larger Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia.

Houthis shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet

The announcement comes after the Houthis in Yemen claimed on 16 September that they have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib, a key city in their battle against Saudi-backed Yemeni forces.

Iran-backed Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, are a Zaydi Shia Islamist political and military organization that controls large parts of Yemen, including the capital city of Sanaa

The Houthis claimed that the aircraft was shot down with a “locally made” surface-to-air missile, which would mark a dramatic change in the group’s ability to wage war in the area, Al Jazeera reported.

Intensifying fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis reportedly killed at least five people, including three children, on Thursday.

Until now, Saudi Arabia’s military has enjoyed relative air superiority in Yemen, and has relied heavily on its ability to carry out air strikes in the neighbouring country.

According to Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia has unsuccessfully sought to have Washington play a more direct role in the kingdom’s conflict with Houthi forces. The US has said it will not directly intervene in the conflict between the Iran-backed Houthis, Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

The sale also comes weeks after Saudi Arabia recently signed a mutual defense agreement, dubbed the Mecca Agreement, with Pakistan and Turkiye. The agreement was seen a sign the countries are seeking ways to provide for mutual defence that relies less on Washington.

Opposition to the deal and the China factor

Democrat Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois has opposed the sale. Krishnamoorthi warned that "it could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party".

Other Democratic lawmakers and some American defence officials have raised similar concerns about giving F-35s to Saudi Arabia, BBC reported.

There is a concern among them that Riyadh might share the sensitive technology with China under a security partnership between the two countries.

US intelligence analysts have raised the possibility that Beijing could acquire F-35 technology through its partnerships with Riyadh, New York Times reported this week.

Trump-MBS relationship

Trump has a close relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who visited the White House last November.

The two leaderr met in May last year in Riyadh, where a $142bn arms sale was sealed. The sale was described by the White House as the "largest defence sales agreement in history".

The latest proposed sale announced to Saudi Arabia would include 48 F-35s, which are built by the arms company Lockheed Martin.

As part of the deal with the US, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, based in East Hartford, Connecticut, will be the principal contractors, according to the State Department statement.

The department said it was not aware of any offset agreement proposed in connection with the potential sale, adding that any such agreement would be defined through negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the contractors.

The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defence.

The implementation of the proposed sale would not require the assignment of additional US government or contractor representatives to Saudi Arabia, the statement noted.