US approves F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia

Seen in USAF service, the F-35 has been approved for sale to Saudi Arabia. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

The US government has approved the sale of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft to Saudi Arabia.

The US Department of State announced approval of the USD24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 aircraft and related equipment, spares, services and support on 17 September 2026. While not specified in the approval notification, the proposed sale will likely be for the F-35A conventional take-off and landing variant used by the US Air Force (USAF) and most international customers.

“The proposed sale will also augment Saudi Arabia's operational aircraft and enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defence capability,” the state department said. Weapons were not included in the approval.

News of the approval came some 10 months after US President Donald Trump said ahead of a visit to Washington, DC, by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in November 2025 that he would clear Saudi Arabia to buy the F-35, saying, “I will say that we will be doing that - we'll be selling F-35s.”

The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is in the midst of the fighter procurement competition, with the Dassault Rafale, the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II, and the Eurofighter Typhoon each bidding to secure a requirement for approximately 50 new aircraft to add to the service's 82 Boeing F-15SA Advanced Eagles, 63 F-15S Eagles, 66 F-15C Eagles, 20 F-15D Eagles, 72 Eurofighter Typhoons, and 79 Panavia Tornados. This approval for the F-35 does not mean that this particular platform has been selected.

For more information, please see France, UK, US to compete Saudi fighter requirement .