Tel Aviv: The US administration has been warned by Pentagon experts that a sale of F-35 stealth fighters to Saudi Arabia could result in sensitive American technology leaking to China, either through espionage or indirect technology transfer.
Pentagon officials have made it clear that selling F-35s to Saudi Arabia might reveal some of the country’s most cutting-edge stealth and combat aircraft capabilities, particularly in light of the kingdom’s growing commercial, industrial, and security links with China.
According to intelligence assessments, there is a possibility that Chinese actors could steal confidential information from the Royal Saudi Air Force’s (RSAF) IT systems, maintenance networks, or third-party contracts related to the F-35 programme.
Concerns about cyber penetration, reverse engineering, and unintentional technology transfer through Saudi-based contractors or regional alliances with Chinese companies are likewise shared by the larger US defence community.
The proposed deal includes up to 48 F-35s, which would greatly enhance Saudi capabilities and potentially change the Middle East’s geopolitical balance.
Similar to the present concerns about Saudi Arabia, the US earlier suspended a similar transaction with the UAE after concerns about Emirati ties to Chinese technology companies (particularly Huawei’s 5G networks) emerged.
Israeli sources said that the concerns of the US defence experts are mainly based on Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to develop its own defence industrial base, which has involved significant cooperation with China in both civilian and security sectors—a major red flag for US technology protection guidelines.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
