US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Saudi Arabia will receive downgraded versions of the F-35 fighter jets under the proposed US-Saudi deal, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing US and Israeli officials.
The F-35s that the US plans to sell to Saudi Arabia will be less advanced than those operated by Israel, in line with a US law that guarantees Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME) in the region, Reuters reported.
President Donald Trump announced the sale earlier this week, but officials noted that the Saudi jets will lack the superior features of Israel’s fleet, which include advanced weapons systems, electronic warfare equipment, and radar-jamming capabilities.
Trump said during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington that Israel wants any potential F-35 fighter jets deliveries to Riyadh to be “of reduced caliber.” Trump also said that Saudi Arabia would purchase nearly 300 US tanks.
Rubio will hold talks with Israeli officials to ensure that the US–Saudi deal does not undermine Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME) program, which is enshrined in US law, Axios cited its sources as saying.
“We told the Israelis we are committed to the QME and we are not going to violate it,” a US official was quoted as saying.
On November 14, Bloomberg reported that Trump and Mohammed bin Salman were expected to reach an agreement on the sale of fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to Riyadh during the crown prince’s visit to Washington. According to The New York Times, the Pentagon fears that selling the fighter jets to the kingdom could jeopardize Israel’s military advantage in the Middle East, as it remains the only country in the region with the F-35s.
On November 15, Axios reported that Israel may ask the US for security guarantees if Washington sells F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. Two Israeli officials told the news portal that the Jewish state wants the deal to be possible only in the case of the normalization of relations with Riyadh.
Even beyond technology, Israel maintains a numerical advantage, currently operating two squadrons of F-35s with a third on order, while Saudi Arabia would be limited to two squadrons that would be delivered over several years.
