US says it will sell up to 48 F-35s to Saudi Arabia

The US State Department has notified Congress that it plans to sell Saudi Arabia up to 48 F-35 warplanes, in a move that has been widely opposed by Israel. The historic sale could total $24.3bn and would mark the first time an Arab state gains access to the US’s fifth-generation jet fighter. “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 in a statement on Thursday. Read more: US says it will sell up to 48 F-35s to Saudi Arabia