Commodities
$24.3 Billion F-35 Deal Secured as Saudi Arabia Deepens Ties with Washington
Saudi Arabia has secured US approval for a potential $24.3 billion F-35 deal, marking a major breakthrough in its years-long pursuit of the stealth fighter.
The package includes 49 Pratt & Whitney engines, communications equipment, spare parts and other support items, giving Riyadh two F-35 squadrons as it modernises an air force already equipped with US-made F-15s, European Tornados and Typhoons.
The oil-rich kingdom has pursued the fighter for years as it seeks to strengthen its defences against regional threats, particularly Iran and the Iran-backed Houthis.