The Chinese threat looms over the potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia

China’s aggressive campaign to steal U.S. military technology is becoming a central concern in the debate over whether the United States should sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, according to experts and retired senior military commanders.

(Ret.) Gen. Charles Wald, a former U.S. Air Force officer and former deputy commander of EUCOM, said the United States had already rejected the United Arab Emirates and Turkey over concerns about the exploitation of Chinese technology.

“We told Turkey they won’t get the F-35. We told the UAE they won’t get it because there are concerns that there could be a transfer of technology to China,” Wald said. “That would probably be the biggest problem if Saudi Arabia got the F-35… Not because they would give it to the Chinese. Because the Chinese could exploit through intelligence and get capacity out of that, but I’m not as concerned as some are,” Wald said during a briefing at JINSA this week.

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He argued that Washington must weigh the risks against the strategic benefits of strengthening ties with Riyadh. “We need to strengthen the relationship with the crown prince, especially if it helps him sign an Abraham Accord. Let him strip the F-35s,” he said.

He added that other U.S. partners could express even greater concerns. “I’m much more concerned about South Korea getting the plane and turning the plans over to China.”

Chinese intelligence agencies have for years been involved in efforts to leverage U.S. military and space technology, including stealth designs, propulsion systems and advanced avionics. U.S. officials have previously linked Chinese cyber actors to thefts targeting top U.S. defense programs, including components similar to those found in fifth-generation fighters.

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An F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, prepares to be refueled by a 459th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 Stratotanker during a flight to Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, April 28, 2017. (US Air Force)

Against that backdrop, the United States is weighing whether to approve Saudi Arabia’s request for the F-35 as part of broader negotiations that include defense guarantees and possible diplomatic progress with Israel.

(Ret.) Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said the United States uses foreign military sales monitoring protocols to reduce risk, but the protection is not perfect. “One of the things we do through foreign military sales is the end-use monitoring protocol,” Ashley said. “We are closely watching how these types of advanced systems are used… but they are not absolute.”

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In this April 12, 2018 file photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks after a review of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) naval fleet in the South China Sea. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP, file)

Despite the Chinese threat, the retired commanders said they do not believe a Saudi F-35 purchase would undermine Israel’s qualitative military edge.

Wald emphasized that Israeli pilots, planners and engineers maintain a superior level of training and innovation. “There is a big difference between the actual Israeli pilot capacity and the other countries out there,” Wald said. He added that Israel has integrated its own upgrades into the aircraft. “The Israelis have modified their own F-35 a little bit… they created or developed them [additional capabilities] just before the attack on Iran.”

An Israeli Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter plane flies overhead during an air show in Tel Aviv on April 26, 2023. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

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Wald noted that even if approved, Riyadh would not receive the plane for years. “There’s at least probably a five-year window here before that would happen if they got the F-35,” he said.

Ashley and Wald said that in the long term, additional F-35s in the region could increase shared situational awareness and strengthen collective defense against Iran. Retired Vice Admiral Mark Fox said the fighter’s data-sharing architecture means more aircraft in allied hands improves overall performance. “The one thing about the F-35 is that it talks to every other F-35,” Fox said. “Having more F-35s in the region actually increases the coalition’s capabilities.”