The Donald Trump administration approved the sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets worth $24.3 billion (approx. 33 trillion won) to Saudi Arabia on the 17th local time.

In a statement that day regarding the approval of the F-35 fighter jet sale, the U.S. State Department said, "This will strengthen the security capabilities of a major non-NATO U.S. ally that contributes to political stability and economic development in the Gulf region, thereby advancing the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States."

It also stated that the sale "will enhance the ability to deter current and future threats by bolstering Saudi Arabia's homeland defense capabilities and improving interoperability with U.S. forces and other regional and NATO forces."

The U.S. began preparing for the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia around the time of the visit to the U.S. by Saudi de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in November of last year.

At the time, President Trump stated ahead of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit that he would approve the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.

When fully implemented, this contract is expected to grant Saudi Arabia the status of being the "only Arab nation operating F-35s."

In particular, the Financial Times (FT) of the UK evaluated this sales approval as a major achievement for Saudi Arabia, which has recently faced new attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest crude oil exporter, has utilized pipelines connecting its eastern oil fields to the Port of Yanbu on the Red Sea coast as export routes after the Strait of Hormuz was blocked following the Iran war.

However, recently, the Houthi rebels seized strategic points near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the entrance of the Red Sea and struck major Saudi energy infrastructure facilities, dealing a major blow to crude oil exports.

While acquiring F-35 fighter jets is expected to provide a significant boost to Saudi Arabia's air power, many hurdles remain before actual delivery.

This is because the agreement must undergo review by the U.S. Congress, and even if Congress ultimately approves it, it will take several years for the first jets to be supplied.

U.S. intelligence agencies have already expressed concerns that the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia could lead to China acquiring related technology.

The New York Times (NYT) reported the previous day that the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) raised questions in a report a few months ago regarding whether the U.S. and Saudi Arabia can maintain F-35 technology security, addressing issues such as the Chinese military's access to Saudi bases and China's technology use within Saudi communication infrastructure.

Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (Democrat), a member of the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, issued a statement that day warning, "If permitted, the sale would pose a threat to U.S. national security," adding, "China has been stealing intellectual property and technology for decades to close the gap with the United States."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)