State Department approves potential F-35 sales to Saudi Arabia

The US State Department approved a possible $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, it said in a statement on Thursday.

The package also includes 49 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines, along with cryptographic equipment, electronic warfare support, training and logistics packages, according to the notification sent to Congress.

"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major non-NATO ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region," the State Department said.

The department said the sale "will not alter the military balance in the region" and would not require additional US government or contractor personnel in Saudi Arabia.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, based in Fort Worth, Texas, and Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, based in East Hartford, Connecticut, will serve as the principal contractors, the department said.

According to US law, Congress members have 30 calendar days from the formal notification to review or object to the sale before the administration finalizes the deal.