China menace looms over potential F-35 fighter jet gross sales to Saudi Arabia

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China’s aggressive campaign to steal American army know-how is rising as a central concern within the debate over whether or not the USA ought to promote F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, in accordance with specialists and retired senior army commanders.

(Ret.) Gen. Charles Wald, a former U.S. Air Power officer and former deputy commander of EUCOM, stated the USA had already rejected the United Arab Emirates and Turkey resulting from issues about Chinese language know-how exploitation.

"We instructed Turkey they’re not going to get the F-35. We instructed the UAE they’re not going to get it as a result of there’s concern that there might be a switch of know-how to China," Wald stated. "That might most likely be the most important difficulty with Saudi Arabia getting the F-35 … Not as a result of they'd give it to the Chinese language. As a result of the Chinese language may exploit by way of intel, getting functionality off that, however I’m not as frightened as some," Wald stated throughout a briefing at JINSA this week.

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President Donald Trump welcomes Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White Home, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

China professional Gordon Chang stated Beijing has already demonstrated its capacity to penetrate U.S. protection applications and must be assumed to be focusing on the F-35 once more. "We must always assume China has the whole lot already. They already stole the entire airplane as soon as. They most likely did it once more," Chang instructed Fox Information Digital.

He argued that Washington should steadiness the dangers with the strategic advantages of strengthening ties with Riyadh. "We have to cement the connection with the crown prince, particularly if that helps him log out on an Abraham Accord. Let him have stripped-down F-35s," he stated.

He added that different U.S. companions might current even better issues. "I’m rather more frightened about South Korea having the airplane and turning over the plans to China."

Chinese intelligence services have been implicated for years in efforts to reap American army and aerospace know-how, together with stealth designs, propulsion programs, and superior avionics. U.S. officers have beforehand linked Chinese language cyber actors to thefts focusing on premier American protection applications, together with parts resembling these present in fifth-generation fighters.

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An F-35A Lightning II plane assigned to Hill Air Power Base, Utah, prepares to be refueled by a 459th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 Stratotanker throughout a flight to Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, April 28, 2017. (U.S. Air Power)

In opposition to that backdrop, the USA is weighing whether or not to approve Saudi Arabia’s request for the F-35 as a part of a broader negotiation that features protection assurances and potential diplomatic progress with Israel.

(Ret.) Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, former director of the Protection Intelligence Company, stated the USA makes use of foreign military sales monitoring protocols to scale back threat, however the protections are usually not excellent. "One of many issues that we do by way of overseas army gross sales is end-use case monitoring protocol," Ashley stated. "We watch very carefully how these sorts of superior programs are used … however they’re not absolute."

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On this April 12, 2018, file picture launched by Xinhua Information Company, Chinese language President Xi Jinping speaks after reviewing the Chinese language Folks's Liberation Military (PLA) Navy fleet within the South China Sea. (Li Gang/Xinhua through AP, File)

Regardless of the China menace, the retired commanders stated they don't imagine a Saudi F-35 acquisition would undermine Israel’s qualitative military edge .

Wald emphasised that Israeli pilots, planners, and engineers preserve a superior degree of coaching and innovation. "There’s an enormous distinction between the Israeli precise pilot functionality than the opposite nations on the market," Wald stated. He added that Israel has built-in its personal upgrades into the aircraft . "The Israelis modified their very own F-35 a bit of bit … they created or developed [additional capabilities] simply previous to the assault on Iran."

An Israeli Air Power F-35 Lightning II fighter plane flies over throughout an air present in Tel Aviv on April 26, 2023. (Jack Guez/AFP through Getty Pictures)

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Wald famous that even when permitted, Riyadh wouldn't obtain the plane for years. "On the very least, there’s most likely a few five-year window right here earlier than that may occur in the event that they obtained the F-35," he stated.

Ashley and Wald stated that in the long run, extra F-35s within the area may improve shared situational consciousness and strengthen collective defenses towards Iran. Retired Vice Adm. Mark Fox stated the fighter’s data-sharing structure means extra plane in allied fingers improves total efficiency. "The one factor about F-35 is it talks to each different F-35," Fox stated. "Having more F-35s within the area truly will increase the aptitude of the coalition."

Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and struggle correspondent. Her work has taken her to 40 nations, together with Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan. She is a recipient of the 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism. Lachter will be adopted on X @efratlachter.