The US Department of State on Thursday (Local Time) approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of 48 F-35 Lightning 2 fighter aircraft and related equipment to Saudi Arabia at an estimated cost of USD 24.3 billion.
The proposed sale includes 48 F-35 aircraft with conventional takeoff and landing capability and 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, including 48 installed engines and one spare engine, the State Department said in its statement.
The package also includes secure communications, precision navigation and cryptographic equipment, electronic warfare database support, aircraft and munitions support equipment, spare parts, training equipment, simulators, software, technical documentation and logistics support, among other items.
The State Department said the proposed sale “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region.”
“The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter current and future threats by strengthening its homeland defence, and improving interoperability with U.S. forces, and other regional and NATO forces,” the statement read.
It added that the sale would “augment Saudi Arabia’s operational aircraft and enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defence capability.”
The US State Department said the proposed sale “will not alter the military balance in the region.”
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, based in East Hartford, Connecticut, will be the principal contractors, according to the statement.
The department said it was not aware of any offset agreement proposed in connection with the potential sale, adding that any such agreement would be defined through negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the contractors.
The implementation of the proposed sale would not require the assignment of additional US government or contractor representatives to Saudi Arabia, the statement noted.
