F-35 fighter jet news
The gist
The U.S. approved a $24.3 billion F-35 sale to Saudi Arabia; Germany got its first jet.
The deals expand the F-35 club while China-linked parts and tech-theft concerns raise scrutiny.
How it unfolded
- 2022Germany ordered 35 F-35As to replace its ageing Tornado fleet, the year Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
- 2025European countries including Germany agreed to Trump's demand to devote five percent of GDP to security-related spending by 2035.
- Sep 16, 2026The New York Times cited U.S. officials as saying intelligence analysts had raised the possibility that China could get F-35 technology by spying in Saudi Arabia or through its partnership with the kingdom.