Pictured is a U.S. Air Force photo of F-35As with the 61st Fighter Squadron and an F-16 with the 309th Fighter Squadron, flying in formation, Jan. 19, 2024, over Luke AFB, Ariz.

The State Department said on Thursday that it has approved a $24.3 billion sale of 48 Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35A fighters to Saudi Arabia. "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 [Persian] Gulf region," the State Department said. "The proposed sale will improve Saudi Arabia’s capability to deter current and…