ByPaul Iddon,
Senior Contributor.
Almost a decade has passed since Israel received its first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth strike fighter from the United States. The fifth-generation aircraft markedly enhanced Israel’s air superiority and technological edge over the wider region, as demonstrated by recent wars, especially the 12-day June war against Iran. With the U.S. signaling its intent to sell F-35s to other regional states, this may prove the beginning of the end for Israel’s regional monopoly on F-35s and stealth aircraft in general.
President Donald Trump expressed his desire to sell Saudi Arabia F-35s during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Nov. 18 visit to Washington, which not-so-subtly featured an F-35 flyover. Trump insisted that the U.S. would not supply Saudi Arabia with an F-35 inferior to the F-35s it provides Israel.
Amidst questions over the preservation of Israel’s qualitative military edge over the region, the Israeli government stated it expects continued access to more advanced American weaponry than other regional countries, which will almost certainly prove to remain the case.
