Saudi Arabia's F-35 Wish: A Tech Tightrope Walk

The buzz around Saudi Arabia's potential purchase of F-35 fighter jets from the U. S. has sparked a heated debate. At the heart of the discussion is China's notorious reputation for snatching up advanced military tech. Experts and retired military bigwigs are weighing in, and their thoughts are as varied as they are intriguing. One former U. S. Air Force general, Charles Wald, has pointed out that the U. S. has already said "no" to Turkey and the UAE over fears that Chinese spies might get their hands on F-35 secrets. But when it comes to Saudi Arabia, Wald isn't as worried. He thinks the real concern is less about Saudi Arabia handing over tech and more about China's sneaky ways of gathering intel. Then there's Gordon Chang, a China watcher, who believes Beijing has already cracked the F-35 code once and might have done it again. He suggests that the U. S. should consider giving Saudi Arabia a "light" version of the F-35 to keep the relationship strong, especially if it helps with Middle East peace talks. The U. S. has been keeping a close eye on China's attempts to grab American military tech for years. From stealth designs to advanced avionics, Chinese hackers have been busy. Now, the U. S. is thinking hard about whether to sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, balancing the risks with the benefits of a stronger alliance. Retired Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, mentioned that the U. S. has protocols to monitor how foreign buyers use advanced military systems. But he admitted that these safeguards aren't foolproof. Despite the China factor, the retired commanders don't think Saudi Arabia getting F-35s would put Israel's military edge at risk. They argue that Israeli pilots and engineers are top-notch and have even modified their own F-35s to boost capabilities. If the deal goes through, Saudi Arabia wouldn't see these jets anytime soon. It could take around five years before they're ready to roll.