In a significant policy shift, President Donald Trump signed a billion dollar deal with Saudi Arabia during a high-profile meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House on Tuesday, November 17.
U.S. President announced the approval of F-35 fighter jet sales to Saudi Arabia possibly altering the military balance in the Middle East.
The deal also marks a significant deepening of the US-Saudi defense ties.
When reporters asked President Trump about the F-35 sales, he confirmed, “We will be doing it.”
In addition to it, the both leaders signed a framework for civil nuclear cooperation and discussed possible Saudi investments in US artificial intelligence infrastructure.
With all ceremonial honors, the visit of the Saudi leader is focused on broadening ties beyond conventional oil and security cooperations into technology and commerce.
The visit marks the Crown’s Prince's first visit to White House in over seven years and also brings a renewed focus on the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, for which US intelligence concluded the Saudi leader was responsible.
This diplomatic engagement signals a mutual intent to move forward, focusing strategic and economic interests amid ongoing regional tensions with Iran.
The F-35 Jet is a fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter, which is specially designed to be nearly invisible to enemy radar.
The most prominent feature of the jet is its sophisticated sensor suite that fuses data from multiple sources, giving pilots unparalleled 360-degree situational awareness.
The aircraft has the ability to share this information with other jets and command centers, playing a central node in a networked battlespace.
There are three variants of the jet including the conventional F-35A, F-35B (specialised for amphibious assaults) and F-35C (larger-winged) for aircraft carrier operations.