According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia requested the Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) variant of the fifth-generation aircraft.
The proposed transaction includes 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines—48 installed and one spare—alongside spare parts, consumables, repair-and-return services, and support equipment for the aircraft and their weapons systems.
The package also incorporates advanced communications, precision navigation, and secure cryptographic equipment. Key items specified in the approval include AN/PYQ-10 simple key loaders, KIV-78 cryptographic appliques, electronic warfare database support, and classified and unclassified software suites.
Additional elements of the procurement cover pilot and ground crew training, flight simulators, training aids, support under the Engine Component Improvement Program (CIP), aircraft modifications, maintenance services, technical documentation, and ferry refueling support.
In a statement, the State Department said the sale would support U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives by enhancing the security of a major non-NATO ally that serves as a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region.
The agency noted that the acquisition will improve Saudi Arabia’s homeland defense, strengthen its deterrence capabilities against current and future threats, and increase interoperability with U.S., regional, and NATO forces. The State Department added that Saudi Arabia will have no difficulty absorbing the aircraft into its armed forces and that the sale will not alter the basic military balance in the region.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, based in East Hartford, Connecticut, were named as the principal contractors. U.S. officials stated there are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with the potential sale, and implementation will not require the assignment of additional U.S. government or contractor personnel to Saudi Arabia.