US Intelligence Warns F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia Could Expose Jet Technology to China

By Staff, Agencies

US intelligence and defense officials are warning that a proposed sale of F-35 stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia could allow China to gain access to some of the aircraft’s highly sensitive technologies.

According to The New York Times, a Pentagon review of the planned deal concluded that Beijing could obtain information about the advanced warplanes through espionage or through its expanding security and technology ties with Riyadh. The concerns were detailed in an assessment prepared by the US Defense Intelligence Agency.

The report also noted that selling the jets to Saudi Arabia could prompt questions about whether Washington is willing to weaken the so-called “Israeli” qualitative military edge, since the “Israeli” entity remains the only F-35 operator in West Asia.

The proposed agreement — valued in the billions — calls for the sale of 48 F-35s to Saudi Arabia. Washington and Riyadh have been attempting to finalize the package ahead of next week’s White House meeting between US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman traveled to Washington ahead of the meeting, holding talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House envoy Steve Witkoff. In a post on X, he said the discussions focused on reinforcing strategic cooperation between the two countries.

The move comes after Trump’s May visit to Saudi Arabia, during which Washington and Riyadh announced a massive $142 billion weapons deal, with bin Salman pledging to increase the kingdom’s investments in the US to $1 trillion.

The F-35 issue is not without precedent. In 2020, the Trump administration approved the sale of 50 F-35s to the United Arab Emirates as part of Abu Dhabi’s normalization agreement with the “Israeli” entity. But in 2021 the Biden administration suspended the deal amid concerns that China could gain access to the aircraft’s technology.

Washington later provided the UAE with a list of security demands, which Emirati officials rejected, leading to the collapse of the agreement.