Saudi Arabia is about to get access to the most advanced fighter jet on the planet. On Thursday, September 17, the US State Department approved a potential $24.3 billion F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia, according to Reuters. The deal covers 48 of the stealth fighters, but it is not final: Congress now has 30 days to review the proposal, and it can block the sale.

Why does this matter? Because the F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia would make Riyadh the first Arab country ever to fly the jet. Right now, Israel is the only country in the Middle East operating F-35s, and it has been building up squadrons for roughly a decade. Washington has always promised Israel a "qualitative military edge," which is a fancy way of saying Israel gets better American weapons than everyone else in the neighborhood. This deal puts that promise to the test.

What Washington approved

The proposal is a Foreign Military Sale covering 48 F-35A jets, the conventional takeoff-and-landing version of the F-35 Lightning II. Along with the planes, the package includes 49 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, with 48 installed and one held as a spare, plus communications equipment, spare parts, simulators, software, training, and logistics support, Reuters reported. Lockheed Martin, which builds the F-35, and Pratt & Whitney are named as the principal contractors.

The headline number is $24.3 billion, but that is the maximum estimated value, not a fixed price. Breaking Defense reported that prices and quantities can still shift during negotiations. On paper, the ceiling works out to more than $500 million per aircraft, but the jet itself costs a fraction of that figure. The bulk of the money funds the infrastructure Saudi Arabia needs to operate a fifth-generation fleet from zero: encrypted software, spare engines, maintenance training, pilot simulators, and the logistics chain to keep the planes flying.

The State Department said the F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia would strengthen Riyadh's ability to defend itself and improve interoperability with US, regional, and NATO forces. The department's notice also said the transfer would not alter the military balance in the region. That claim is where the fight will be, because plenty of people in Washington and Jerusalem will disagree.

Why the deal is controversial

Saudi Arabia has wanted the F-35 for years, and it made a direct appeal to President Donald Trump in early 2025, according to Reuters. The timing matters: the State Department approved the F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia as the kingdom is being drawn deeper into the Middle East's conflicts. Critics worry that sending stealth technology to the Gulf changes the regional pecking order, even with the State Department's reassurances.

The congressional review is the next hurdle. The State Department's notice opened a 30-day window in which Congress can pass a resolution to block the sale. Lawmakers have killed or reshaped arms deals before when they decided a transfer went too far, so supporters and opponents of the F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia are already lining up their arguments. Israel's backers will likely push for guarantees that Jerusalem keeps its technological lead.

Lockheed Martin welcomed the decision. In a statement to Breaking Defense, the company said, "The government-to-government agreement to provide F-35 aircraft exemplifies our shared commitment to enduring security, stability, and long-term cooperation." Lockheed added that the jet's capabilities directly support Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 modernization program, and said it looks forward to working with the US government as the congressional review moves ahead. The Saudi embassy in Washington celebrated too, writing on X that the proposed F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia "reflects the strength and enduring nature of the Saudi-U.S. strategic partnership and the continued advancement of our defense cooperation."

What happens next

First, the clock runs. Congress has 30 days from the notification to act, and the White House will need to hold its coalition together if anyone tries to block the deal. If the sale survives review, negotiations begin on the actual contract, which is when the final price and the number of jets get locked in. Deliveries would still be years away: Saudi Arabia has to train pilots, build maintenance depots, and stand up secure data networks before the first F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia turns into actual Saudi F-35s on a runway.

That long timeline does not make the decision small. Approving the F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia signals where Washington wants Riyadh in the region's future: flying American hardware, tied into American logistics, and dependent on American software updates. For a generation that watched drones and missiles reshape warfare on their feeds, the stealth jet deal is a reminder that the old-school arms race is still very much running. Keep an eye on Congress. That is where this story gets decided.

Read more: Breaking Defense on the State Department clearance and Reuters on the $24.3 billion proposal.