WASHINGTON (Sept. 17, 2026) — The State Department on Thursday announced it had determined to approve a possible Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia of F-35 Lightning II aircraft and related equipment at an estimated total cost of $24.3 billion, according to a Bureau of Political-Military Affairs release.

Riyadh has requested 48 conventional-takeoff-and-landing F-35s and 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines (48 installed, one spare), plus cryptographic gear, training, simulators, spares, and logistics support. Principal contractors named are Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (Fort Worth) and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines (East Hartford). The release says the sale would not alter the regional military balance and would not require additional U.S. government or contractor personnel assigned to Saudi Arabia.

Intelligence warnings on China access

Separately, reporting tied to the package — including accounts summarized by The Defense News citing The New York Times and U.S. officials — says Defense Intelligence Agency and other assessments have flagged risks that Chinese personnel or Chinese-made telecom gear (including Huawei/ZTE) could expose F-35 radar and surveillance technology if Saudi facilities and networks are not locked down.

Those assessments, as described in secondary reporting, recommend restricting F-35 facility access to U.S. and Saudi personnel and pressing Riyadh on Chinese military contacts and Chinese equipment in related networks. Similar China-tied concerns previously helped stall a proposed UAE F-35 deal. Israel remains the only Middle East operator of the jet.

A State determination approving a possible FMS is not the same as jets on a flight line: Congress still reviews major sales, production timelines run years, and final safeguards — if any — were not detailed in Thursday’s State notice. The White House, Pentagon, and Saudi embassy had not publicly answered the latest intel characterizations in the secondary reports cited above.

Sources: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (Sept. 17, 2026); The Defense News summary of NYT/intel reporting (Sept. 17, 2026).