US Clears $24.3B F-35 Jet Sale to Saudi Arabia
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
Selling F-35s to Saudi Arabia strengthens a major non-NATO ally that has anchored Gulf stability for decades. Better Saudi homeland defense and tighter interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces directly serve American security interests, while leaving the regional military balance intact. Deepening this partnership is exactly what smart defense cooperation looks like.
Government-critical narrative
Handing over the crown jewels of American military technology to a kingdom with deep military and telecom ties to Beijing is reckless, especially as the intelligence community sounds the alarm. China has spent decades stealing U.S. technology to close the military gap, and the F-35's radar and surveillance systems would be extremely valuable to these efforts. This is a highly irresponsible deal.