US President Donald Trump’s willingness to sell Saudi Arabia's F-35s was not appreciated by Israel, which had a qualitative advantage, being the only country in the region with the advanced stealth aircraft. Israel made its displeasure known, stating the sale should be under the condition that the kingdom normalise its relations with the Jewish state.
But, in what could come as a solace for Israel, reports have hinted that the F-35s to be sold to Saudi Arabia will be less advanced than those operated by Israel. The aircraft will lack the superior features of Israel’s fleet that include advanced weapons systems and electronic warfare equipment, Reuters reported.
“The White House is trying to find a middle ground that will allow the F-35 deal to be implemented while preserving Israel’s qualitative advantage, a senior American official was quoted by Hebrew media. He added that the Trump administration will hold additional talks with Israel on the F-35 deal to ensure it is “balanced.”
“The Trump administration is committed to the law that states that the United States will maintain the IDF’s qualitative advantage in the Middle East. We will not violate that,” he clarified.
As per reports, the Saudi F-35 jets will be missing some features, like the ability to integrate their own weapons systems and add radar jamming capabilities and other upgrades that do not require U.S. approval. Even if Saudi Arabia gets the jets, it is unlikely to receive the AIM-260 Advanced Tactical Missile, a next-generation air-to-air missile being developed for fifth-generation aircraft.
The AIM-260 is a new, long-range, beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile used by the US Air Force and Navy. They can counter advanced threats like China's PL-15 missile and can be fitted within the internal weapons bays of stealth fighters like the F-22 and F-35s. While the missile will be offered to Israel, the Saudis are unlikely to get it.
The F-35s being used by the US are different from those used by Israel. While the US has the most capable and advanced version, every other nation it sells the fighter jet receives a lesser fighter.
