"WASHINGTON President Donald Trump says he has agreed to sell the nation's most advanced fighter jet to Saudi Arabia despite concerns that China could gain access to the plane's vaunted American technology. The sale to the Middle Eastern nation, whose top trading partner is China, was reaffirmed Tuesday during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to Washington. Some in the Republican administration also have been wary that selling the F-35 to Saudi Arabia will upset Israel's qualitative military edge over its neighbors,"
"It was nearly 20 years ago when the first F-35 Lightning strike fighter rolled off an assembly line in Fort Worth, Texas, hailed as a technological leap and lamented as a military money pit. Since then, more than 1,200 of the stealth jets have been made, underpinning what Lockheed Martin says are nearly 300,000 jobs connected to its supply chain across 49 states and Puerto Rico."
The U.S. agreed to sell F-35 fighters to Saudi Arabia despite concerns that China could gain access to American technology and worries about undermining Israel's qualitative military edge. The sale was reaffirmed during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit. Nineteen other nations have the plane or agreements to buy it. The F-35 first rolled off an assembly line nearly 20 years ago, and over 1,200 jets have been produced. Lockheed Martin ties the program to nearly 300,000 jobs across 49 states and Puerto Rico. The jet serves Air Force, Navy and Marine variants and draws criticism for complexity and cost, with per-unit prices up to $77 million in 2023.
Read at www.npr.org
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