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There are concerns in the US intelligence community that the F-35’s sensitive technology could reach China while at the same time upsetting the balance of power in the Middle East with Washington considering the sale of Lightning II fighters to Saudi Arabia, The New York Times recently reported.
In fact, according to a recent Pentagon intelligence report, the proposed sale of 48 F-35 fighters to Saudi Arabia could inadvertently grant Beijing access to the technology, either by espionage or through burgeoning defense ties.
As reported by The Times of Israel, American officials are considering putting in place certain safeguards to prevent China from gaining access to the jets, although it said it was not clear what safeguards, if any, would be included in a sales agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia.
A key Pentagon hurdle was cleared by the potential sale of the F-35s to Riyadh moving a step closer to completion ahead of an upcoming visit to Washington by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this week.
The visit would be aimed at focusing on defense issues, as well as the matter of Israel, the Gaza war, and potential normalization with Israel.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to soon approve the F-35 sale, despite the apparent security concerns. The deal will also need further approvals at the cabinet level and a final sign-off from US President Donald Trump.
The US intelligence is also concerned by the fact that there is the possibility that selling the fighter jets to Saudi Arabia will harm Israel’s military dominance in the Middle East.
Actually, by selling it more advanced US weapons than the regional Arab states Washington has long ensured that Israel maintains a “qualitative military edge” over its neighbors.
Israel remains the only Middle Eastern country to operate the F-35.
All planes ordered by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) belong to the F-35A variant designated F-35I Adir in Israel.
Israel became the first country to select the F-35 through the US government’s Foreign Military Sales process when a Letter of Agreement was signed in October 2010. On Jun. 22, 2016, the IAF received the first F-35 for Israel at a ceremony at the Fort Worth, Texas, F-35 factory. The service declared its F-35 fleet operationally capable in December 2017, marking the completion of an intensive integration and training effort conducted at Nevatim AFB, Israel. The IAF gave the F-35 the Hebrew name Adir which, meaning “Mighty One” in Hebrew.
Israel F-35Is are assigned to the 116th Lions of the South Squadron and the 140th Golden Eagle Squadron.
The F-35 is the pinnacle of air dominance, seamlessly integrating advanced sensors and providing unmatched connectivity to the fighting force. It embodies peace through strength, ensuring America and its allies continue to own the skies with mission-ready, integrated capabilities.
The F-35 strengthens national security, enhances global partnerships and powers economic growth. It is the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world, giving pilots an advantage against any adversary and enabling them to execute their mission and come home safe.
The F-35 family includes three variants — all single-seat jets. The F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant, the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variant, and the F-35C carrier variant.
All three variants have similar performance characteristics and the exact same advanced avionics. The variation between models allows military forces to achieve service-specific mission capability, while still taking advantage of the economies of scale that result from the parts and processes that are common to all three variants.
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force
