US-Saudi F-35 fighter deal runs into a China-sized problem — SkimNews
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- US State Department approved a potential US$24.3 billion Foreign Military Sale of 48 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, issuing formal Congressional notification under a November 2025 US-Saudi strategic defense pact.
- Saudi Arabia's proposed package includes 48 F-35s, 49 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, precision navigation components, cryptographic devices and comprehensive logistical support — intended to counter Iranian drone attacks and Houthi combat where 4th-generation F-15s have been shot down.
- US lawmakers warned that Saudi Arabia's commercial and defense ties with China could expose sensitive F-35 stealth technology to Chinese intelligence exploitation, potentially through shared workshops, integrated production lines, or Pakistani engineers rotated through Saudi facilities.
- Israel's status as the region's sole F-35 operator triggered statutory review under the US commitment to preserve Israel's qualitative military edge; Reuters reported in November 2025 that Saudi aircraft would receive inferior software and be denied the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile.
- F-35 operational vulnerabilities surfaced in 2026 combat: an April 2026 incident marked the first US F-15 combat loss, and in March 2026 a US F-35 was damaged by Iranian anti-aircraft fire and forced into an emergency landing at an undisclosed base.
- US kill-switch leverage remains intact post-sale: cutting Saudi F-35s off from ALIS/ODIN cloud networks, Mission Data Files, spare parts, and US satellite communications would quickly degrade the fleet into severe cannibalization and grounding.
- Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan formed the autonomous 'Mecca Agreement' defense pact, per Cheema and Hage Ali's August 2026 Diwan article, replacing traditional reliance on an 'unraveling US umbrella' with collective deterrence and indigenous military-industrial cooperation.
Why it matters: The US retains structural leverage through proprietary sustainment networks and software (ALIS/ODIN) that could ground any Saudi F-35 fleet without spare parts or satellite links. With Congress holding statutory review authority and Israeli QME concessions already pre-negotiated, the $24.3B notification functions more as a political-alignment instrument than an unconstrained capability transfer.
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