Why US plan to sell F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia is controversial

Saudi Arabia has sought for years to buy the world's most advanced warplane, equipped with stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy detection. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, a Democrat, opposed the sale on Thursday.

He warned "it could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party". Other Democratic lawmakers and some American defence officials have raised similar concerns about giving F-35s to Saudi Arabia.

They said Riyadh might share the sensitive technology with China under a security partnership between the two countries. It said the deal would improve "the security of a major non-Nato ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region".

"The proposed ⁠sale of this equipment and support will not alter the military ⁠balance in the region," the state department added. Trump has a close relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who visited the White House last November.

The two also met in May last year in Riyadh, where a $142bn arms sale was sealed – described by the White House as the "largest defence sales agreement in history". The latest proposed sale announced to Saudi Arabia would include 48 F-35s, which are built by the arms company Lockheed Martin.

This would place the country on a level with Israel, which currently has a fleet of 50 jets. However, Israel's ministry of foreign affairs announced in May , external that it would procure another F-35 squadron. This deal would double the size of Israel's F-35 fleet to 100, according to the Jerusalem Post , external .

Just one of Lockheed Martin's F-35A jets costs about $82. 5m. Congress has previously questioned arms deals with Riyadh after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

The proposed sale comes as the Saudis are engaged in fighting with the Houthis, an Iran-backed armed group that controls much of western Yemen. The Houthis have recently seized control of swathes of Yemen's Red Sea coast from Saudi-backed pro-government forces.

Additional reporting by Sareen Habeshian Verified video shows wreckage of Saudi fighter jet shot down over Yemen