U.S. officials and defense analysts said on Wednesday that the F‑35 jets the United States intends to sell to Saudi Arabia will be less advanced than Israel’s fleet, a move required by a U.S. law that guarantees Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region, Dawn News reported.
President Donald Trump announced the sale earlier this week, but the Saudi aircraft will be stripped of the advanced weapons systems and electronic‑warfare equipment that Israel’s F‑35s possess.
Israel has a unique arrangement that lets it modify its own jets—integrating its own weapons, radar‑jamming gear and other upgrades without needing U.S. approval, yet the Israeli Air Force warned in a position paper that the Saudi sale would erode Israel’s air superiority.
Defense expert Douglas Birkey noted that even if Saudi Arabia receives the jets, it is unlikely to obtain the AIM‑260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile; the missile, with a range of over 120 miles, is expected to go to Israel.
The F‑35 is customized for each buyer, with the United States retaining the most capable version and all other nations, including Saudi Arabia, receiving a lesser variant, a difference that can be enforced through the permitted software package .
Israel currently fields two squadrons of F‑35s with a third on order, while Saudi Arabia would be limited to two squadrons that will not arrive for several years, and Israel has been the sole regional operator of the stealth fighter for roughly eight years, giving it extensive experience with the platfom.