U.S. Approves Possible F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia, Congress Decides Next
The U.S. Department of State has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale of F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. The determination is dated September 17, 2026, labeled Transmittal No. 26-69, and was posted by the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. State Department The F-35 is a fifth-generation fighter, built to avoid radar detection and share combat data quickly. A Foreign Military Sale is a government-to-government process.
The determination allows a possible sale. It does not complete one. The Trump administration agreed to the F-35 sale in September 2026, according to reporting on the notification. Politico That agreement still needs congressional approval before any jets can be transferred. Al Jazeera Congress has the next move.
The September notification came after almost a year of public preparation. President Trump said in November 2025 that he planned to sell F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia despite concerns from national security officials. The New York Times The White House then included future F-35 deliveries to Saudi Arabia in a defense sale package announced that month. White House In that fact sheet, the White House said future F-35 deliveries would strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base.
Questions about protecting technology have followed the proposal from the start. Lawmakers and defense officials raised concerns about selling the jets to Saudi Arabia. Politico A Pentagon intelligence report in November 2025 said China could try to acquire advanced F-35 technology in Saudi Arabia if the jets are sold. The New York Times U.S. intelligence analysts repeated that warning as the sale advanced, saying China could gain F-35 technology through spying in Saudi Arabia. The New York Times
The broader context here is a familiar tension in U.S. arms sales, between supporting partners and protecting sensitive technology. For a fifth-generation aircraft, security rules shape where jets are based, how they are maintained, who trains crews, and how data is handled. Congressional review is the formal place where those conditions are tested and written down.
Looking at what this means for the next phase, the Transmittal number starts congressional scrutiny rather than ending debate. In my view, readers should watch how lawmakers describe the risk. Some may call it manageable with strict end-use controls and limited access. Others may call it built into the operating environment described by analysts. The administration has given its factory and jobs rationale. Critics have given their spying warning. The final language from Congress, any conditions attached, and whether Riyadh accepts those limits will decide if a possible sale becomes a real program.
