The US State Department approved a possible $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, it said in a statement on Thursday.
– The package also includes 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, along with cryptographic equipment, electronic warfare support, training and logistics packages, according to the notification sent to Congress.
– “This 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 State Department said.
– The department said the sale “will not alter the military balance in the region” and would not require additional US government or contractor personnel in Saudi Arabia.
– Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, based in East Hartford, Connecticut, will serve as the principal contractors, said the department.
– According to US law, Congress members have 30 calendar days from the formal notification to review or object to the sale before the administration finalises the deal.
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