What to know about the F-35 fighter jet that Trump is selling to Saudi Arabia
November 18, 2025
President Donald Trump says he’s agreed to sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia despite concerns that China could gain access to the plane’s vaunted American technology. The F-35 Lightning is considered to be the United States’ most advanced fighter plane. It first rolled off a Texas assembly line in 2006. It’s been hailed as a technological leap and lamented as military money pit over the years. More than 1,200 have been made so far. The planes have been delivered to the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marines as well as Britain, Canada and Japan.