US Approves $24.3 Billion F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia
The US State Department cleared a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia on September 18, 2026. The package must still clear a 30-day congressional review window before a final contract is signed, but it already makes Riyadh the third Gulf capital in line for the stealth jet.
At a Glance
- Package: 48 F-35 aircraft, valued at $24.3 billion.
- Process: State Department approval notified to Congress; a 30-day objection window is running before any Letter of Offer and Acceptance is finalized.
- Regional context: Saudi Arabia becomes the second Gulf state after the UAE with a cleared F-35 offer, while Qatar has separately shown interest.
- Türkiye angle: Ankara was removed from the F-35 program in 2019 after buying Russia’s S-400 system, freezing a 100-jet order.
Background
Riyadh’s appetite for the F-35 is not new, but approval accelerated after the Iran-Gulf tensions that opened in February 2026 sharpened regional demand for advanced air power. Washington approved roughly $41 billion in arms sales to GCC members in the first half of 2026 alone, compared with about $9 billion for all of 2025. The F-35 clearance is the single largest item in that surge.
Technical and political sensitivities remain unresolved. US officials are still weighing how the jet’s sensor and weapons suite would shift the regional balance, and whether Israel’s qualitative edge in the theater can be preserved through configuration limits. That leaves the delivery schedule and exact aircraft configuration undecided for now.
Regional Impact
The Saudi approval reopened a familiar debate in Ankara. Turkey was expelled from the F-35 program in 2019 over its S-400 purchase, halting both a planned 100-jet buy and its role as a manufacturing partner producing airframe and engine components. Expectations had built ahead of the July 2026 NATO summit in Ankara, where President Trump said he would lift sanctions on Turkey and decide on the F-35 question — a decision that never materialized into a formal announcement. When the Saudi deal cleared, Turkish opposition leader Fatih Erbakan publicly asked where Turkey’s own F-35s stood.
The episode underscores why Turkey has pushed its indigenous KAAN fighter program as a hedge against exactly this kind of uncertainty; a serial-production contract for KAAN is among the targets the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) has set for 2026.
FAQ
Is the deal final? No. The State Department notification starts a 30-day congressional review; the formal Letter of Offer and Acceptance follows only after that window closes.
When would deliveries start? No delivery schedule has been published; production slotting and configuration approval could stretch the timeline over several years.
Could Turkey rejoin the F-35 program? No formal decision has been announced; the issue was raised at the Ankara NATO summit without a concrete commitment.
Sources
- France 24, “US approves $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia,” September 18, 2026
- CNN Politics, “Trump admin approves sale of stealth F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia,” September 18, 2026
- Turkish Minute, “Opposition leader asks where Turkey’s F-35s are after US clears Saudi sale,” September 18, 2026
