Washington, Sep 18 (V7N)- The administration of US President Donald Trump has approved a potential sale of 48 advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, according to the US State Department.
The State Department announced the approval in a statement on Thursday (September 17), Anadolu Agency reported.
The proposed package is valued at approximately $24.5 billion and includes 49 engines for the aircraft, communications equipment, spare parts and other related military hardware.
Saudi Arabia has long sought to acquire the F-35 from the United States as part of efforts to strengthen its military capabilities and deepen defense cooperation with Washington.
US President Donald Trump had previously announced plans for the sale during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to the United States last year.
If the deal is completed, Saudi Arabia would become the first Arab country to operate the US-made F-35 fighter jet.
However, the proposed arms sale still requires approval from the US Congress before it can be finalized.
The potential deal comes amid ongoing US-Saudi defense cooperation and broader efforts by Riyadh to modernize its armed forces with advanced military technology.
END/SMA/AJ
