Why US plan to sell F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia is controversial
Saudi Arabia has lobbied the US for years to buy F35s, the world's most advanced fighter jet.
Why the US plan to sell F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia is controversial
President Donald Trump's administration said it has approved the sale of nearly 50 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, marking a policy shift for the US that has prompted concern among some members of Congress.
Saudi Arabia has spent years trying to purchase the world’s most advanced fighter jet, which uses stealth technology to avoid enemy detection.
The US had previously refused, in part because it provides F-35s to its ally Israel, which is guaranteed under US law to receive top-tier American weapons ahead of those available to its regional neighbours.
Congress now has 30 days to review or try to block the $24bn (£17.8bn) sale to Riyadh, the biggest buyer of US weapons.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, a Democrat, opposed the deal on Thursday.
He said "it could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party".
Other Democratic lawmakers and some US defence officials have voiced similar worries about transferring F-35s to Saudi Arabia.
They argued that Riyadh could pass on the sensitive technology to China under a security partnership between the two countries.
When announcing the deal on Thursday, the state department said it would support US "foreign policy and national security objectives".
It said the sale would strengthen "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 of this equipment and support will not alter the military balance in the region," the state department added.
Trump has a close relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who visited the White House last November.
The two also met in May last year in Riyadh, where a $142bn arms sale was finalised – described by the White House as the "largest defence sales agreement in history".
The newly proposed sale to Saudi Arabia would include 48 F-35s made by Lockheed Martin.
That would put the country on the same level as Israel, which currently operates a fleet of 50 jets.
One Lockheed Martin F-35A costs about $82.5m.
Congress has previously raised concerns about arms deals with Riyadh following the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Former US President Joe Biden's administration had considered providing F-35s to Saudi Arabia if Riyadh would normalise its relations with Israel, but that diplomatic effort failed.