China threat looms over potential F-35 fighter jet sales to Saudi Arabia

China’s aggressive campaign to steal American military technology is emerging as 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.

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

“We told Türkiye that they cannot buy the F-35. We also told the UAE that they cannot buy it because there are concerns about technology transfer to China,” Wald said. “That’s probably going to be the biggest problem with Saudi Arabia getting the F-35… Not because they’re going to give it to the Chinese. Because the Chinese can benefit from the intelligence, they can take advantage of it, but I’m not as concerned as some,” Wald said at a JINSA briefing this week.

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China expert Gordon Chang said Beijing has already demonstrated the ability to penetrate US defense programs and should be assumed to target the F-35 again. “We have to assume China already has everything. They already stole an entire plane once. They probably did it again,” Chang told Fox News Digital.

He argued that Washington must balance the risks with the strategic benefits of strengthening ties with Riyadh. “We need to strengthen our relationship with the crown prince, especially if it will help him sign the Abraham Accords. Let him lift the F-35s,” he said.

He added that other US partners may have even greater concerns. “I’m more concerned about South Korea taking the plane and handing over the plans to China.”

Chinese intelligence services have been involved in efforts for years to collect American military and aviation technology, including stealth designs, propulsion systems and advanced avionics. U.S. officials have previously linked Chinese cyber actors to thefts targeting major American defense programs, including components similar to those found in fifth-generation fighter jets.

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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 this backdrop, the United States is considering whether to approve Saudi Arabia’s F-35 request as part of a broader negotiation that includes defense assurances and potential diplomatic progress with Israel.

(Retired) Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said the U.S. uses foreign military sales monitoring protocols to reduce risk, but the protections are not perfect. “One of the things we do through foreign military sales is the end-use case tracking protocol,” Ashley said. “We monitor very closely how such advanced systems are used… but they are not absolute.”

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In the photo published by Xinhua News Agency on April 12, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks after inspecting the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in the South China Sea. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP, File)

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

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

An Israeli Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jet flies 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 it is approved, Riyadh will not receive the plane for years. “If they get the F-35, there’s at least a window of about five years for that to happen,” he said.

In the long term, additional F-35s in the region could increase collective situational awareness and strengthen collective defense against Iran, Ashley and Wald said. Retired Vice Admiral Mark Fox said the fighter jet’s data-sharing architecture meant more aircraft in Allied hands improved overall performance. “The thing about the F-35 is that it communicates with all other F-35s,” Fox said. “Having more F-35s in the region actually increases the coalition’s capability.”