US approves $24.3 billion sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia: Why the deal matters and the Chinese factor explained | Today’s news
The US administration led by Donald Trump on Thursday approved a possible foreign military sale (FMS) of 48 F-35 Lightning 2 fighter jets 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 a statement.
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The package includes, but is not limited to, secure communications, precision navigation and encryption equipment, electronic warfare database support, aircraft and ammunition support equipment, spare parts, training equipment, simulators, software, technical documentation and logistical support.
What did the Foreign Office say?
The US 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 Persian Gulf region”.
“The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s ability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defenses and improving interoperability with US and other regional and NATO forces,” the statement said.
He added that the sale “will expand Saudi Arabia’s operational aircraft and enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defense capability.”
The US State Department said the proposed sale would “not alter the military balance in the region”.
Why does the agreement matter?
Saudi Arabia has sought for years to buy the world’s most advanced warplane equipped with stealth technology that allows it to avoid enemy detection, the BBC said in its report.
Washington has resisted, in part because it supplies the F-35 to its ally Israel, which is guaranteed by US law to receive superior American weapons compared to those its regional neighbors have access to.
Congress has 30 days to investigate or try to block the $24 billion sale to Saudi Arabia.
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Riyadh is the largest buyer of US arms and the announcement of the sale comes amid a US-Iran war that has affected the greater Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet
The announcement comes after Yemen’s Houthis said on September 16 that they shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib, a key city in their battle against Saudi-backed Yemeni forces.
The Iranian-backed Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, are a Zaydi Shiite Islamist political and military organization that controls large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.
The Houthis claimed the plane was shot down by a “locally produced” 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 on Thursday reportedly killed at least five people, including three children.
Until now, the Saudi military has enjoyed relative air superiority in Yemen and has relied heavily on its ability to carry out airstrikes in the neighboring country.
According to Al Jazeera, Saudi Arabia has unsuccessfully pushed for Washington to play a more direct role in the kingdom’s conflict with Houthi forces. The US has said it will not intervene directly 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 with Pakistan and Turkey, dubbed the Mecca Accord. The agreement was seen as a sign that the countries are looking for ways to ensure mutual defense that is less reliant on Washington.
Opposition to the deal and the China factor
Democratic Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois opposed the sale. Krishnamoorthi warned that “this could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party”.
Other Democratic lawmakers and some US defense officials have expressed similar concerns about providing F-35s to Saudi Arabia, the BBC reported.
Among them, there is concern that Riyadh could share sensitive technology with China as part of a security partnership between the two countries.
US intelligence analysts have raised the possibility that Beijing could acquire F-35 technology through a partnership with Riyadh, New York Times reported this week.
The Trump-MBS relationship
Trump has a close relationship with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who visited the White House last November.
The two leaders met in May last year in Riyadh, where a $142 billion arms sale was concluded. The White House called the sale “the largest defense sales deal in history.”
The latest proposed sale announced to Saudi Arabia would include 48 F-35s, which are manufactured by the arms company Lockheed Martin.
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Under the U.S. deal, Fort Worth, Texas-based Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company and East Hartford, Connecticut-based Pratt & Whitney Military Engines will be the main suppliers, according to a State Department statement.
The ministry said it was not aware of any compensation agreement proposed in connection with the potential sale, adding that any such agreement would be defined through negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the suppliers.
The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s ability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defenses.
Implementation of the proposed sale would not require the assignment of additional US government officials or suppliers to Saudi Arabia, the statement said.
(With inputs from agencies, BBC and Al Jazeera)
