The Trump administration’s plan to finalize a multi-billion dollar arms deal to sell at least 48 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia is facing a significant hurdle from its own defense officials. A new Pentagon intelligence report, first detailed by The New York Times, raises serious concerns that the sale could allow China to gain access to the aircraft’s most sensitive, next-generation technology.
The report, prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), warns that the F-35’s advanced technology could be compromised through two primary avenues:
* Direct Espionage: China could conduct intelligence operations within Saudi Arabia to steal the technology.
* Security Partnership: China’s deep and growing security partnership with Saudi Arabia provides an unprecedented opportunity for technology transfer.
Pentagon officials fear that a single breach could be devastating. It could provide Beijing with a treasure trove of classified data on the F-35’s stealth coatings, its radar-cross-section design, and its next-generation datalink protocols. This intelligence would be an “goldmine” for China as it works to advance its own J-20 and J-35 stealth fighter programs, directly eroding America’s air-power advantage.
The U.S. has historically been unwilling to sell the F-35 to Arab states to protect Israel’s “Qualitative Military Edge.” However, the Trump administration has been aggressively pushing the deal as part of a broader diplomatic effort, including the potential normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
The Pentagon’s concerns are rooted in Riyadh’s existing military ties with Beijing. China is already helping Saudi Arabia acquire and build its own advanced ballistic missiles. Furthermore, the two nations’ navies just concluded “Blue Sword 2025,” a joint naval exercise that deepens their military interoperability.
These concerns mirror the exact reasons a similar F-35 sale to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) fell apart. The U.S. demanded strict safeguards to wall off the technology from Chinese access, which the UAE found too burdensome. Now, U.S. officials are discussing similar “protective measures” for a potential Saudi deal, but the risk remains a significant obstacle to the sale.
