2026年9月17日 美国东部时间下午5:28 / 路透社
Item 1 of 2 2026年1月3日，工作人员在波多黎各塞瓦前罗斯福路海军基地的停机坪上检修美国空军F-35“闪电II”战斗机。路透社/伊娃·玛丽·乌斯卡特盖伊/档案照片
[1/2]2026年1月3日，工作人员在波多黎各塞瓦前罗斯福路海军基地的停机坪上检修美国空军F-35“闪电II”战斗机。路透社/伊娃·玛丽·乌斯卡特盖伊/档案照片 购买授权许可，打开新标签页
- 美国国务院称，这笔交易包括48架战机、49台发动机及配套装备
- 此举或考验美国维护以色列军事优势的承诺
- 利雅得多年来一直寻求这款战机，以实现军队现代化并威慑伊朗
华盛顿，9月17日（路透社）——美国国务院周四宣布，已批准向沙特阿拉伯出售洛克希德·马丁公司生产的F-35“闪电II”战斗机的潜在交易，正值沙特更深地卷入中东战事之际。
此次交易标志着美国政策的重大转变，可能改变中东军事力量平衡，并考验华盛顿维护盟友以色列“定性军事优势”的承诺。
《错误信息监控》简报汇总国际错误信息叙事，每期都设有“真实还是虚假？”问答环节。点击此处订阅。
广告 · 继续向下滚动
沙特阿拉伯于2025年初直接向美国总统唐纳德·特朗普提出购买这款战机的诉求，长期以来一直对洛克希德·马丁的这款战斗机抱有兴趣。
美国国务院表示，这笔交易总额预计达243亿美元，将包括48架军用战机、49台普惠发动机，以及通信设备、备件和其他配套物资。
华盛顿在评估对中东的武器销售时，会确保以色列保持“定性军事优势”，这实际上保证了以色列获得比阿拉伯地区国家更先进的美国武器。
F-35配备可规避敌方探测的隐身技术，被认为是全球最先进的战斗机。以色列装备该战机已有十年，组建了多个中队，仍是中东地区唯一拥有该武器系统的国家。
广告 · 继续向下滚动
作为美国最大的军火采购客户，沙特多年来一直寻求这款战机，以期实现空军现代化并应对地区威胁，尤其是来自伊朗的威胁。随着特朗普政府公开表示愿意深化与利雅得的国防合作，沙特此次再次推动采购，将组建两个中队的F-35机队。沙特空军目前装备有包括波音F-15、欧洲“狂风”和“台风”在内的多款战斗机。
F-35问题还与更广泛的外交努力交织在一起。美国前总统拜登政府曾探索向沙特出售F-35，作为全面协议的一部分，该协议本应包括沙特与以色列关系正常化，但最终谈判搁浅。
特朗普自再次就职以来，将对沙特的武器销售列为优先事项。2025年，美国同意向沙特出售价值近1420亿美元的军火套装，白宫称这是华盛顿有史以来达成的“最大规模国防合作协议”。
国会的审查可能会给任何F-35交易带来挑战。2018年沙特记者贾马尔·卡舒吉遇害后，议员们此前就对与利雅得的军火交易提出过质疑，一些国会议员仍对深化与沙特的军事合作持谨慎态度。
沙特王储穆罕默德·本·萨勒曼领导的“2030愿景”议程下，该国正推行雄心勃勃的经济和军事现代化计划。近年来，沙特一直在寻求多元化国防伙伴关系，同时保持与美国长达数十年的安全合作关系。
广告 · 继续向下滚动
伊斯梅尔·沙基尔和迈克·斯通 报道；苏珊·希维 撰稿；多伊娜·恰库和妮娅·威廉姆斯 编辑
我们的准则：路透社诚信原则
US clears way for $24.3 billion fighter jet sale to Saudi Arabia
September 17, 2026 5:28 PM UTC / Reuters
Item 1 of 2 Personnel work on U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jets parked on the tarmac at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, January 3, 2026. REUTERS/Eva Marie Uzcategui/File Photo
[1/2]Personnel work on U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jets parked on the tarmac at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, January 3, 2026. REUTERS/Eva Marie Uzcategui/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
- Deal includes 48 aircraft, 49 engines and support equipment, State Department says
- Move may test US pledge to preserve Israel’s military superiority
- Riyadh sought the jet for years to modernize forces and deter Iran
WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) – The US Department of State said on Thursday it has approved the potential sale of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom is drawn deeper into war in the Middle East.
A sale would mark a significant policy shift from the US, potentially altering the balance of military power in the Middle East and testing Washington’s definition of maintaining its ally Israel’s “qualitative military edge.”
The Misinformation Monitor newsletter rounds up international misinformation narratives, with a “Real or Fake?” quiz in every edition. Sign up here.
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
Saudi Arabia made a direct appeal for the jets in early 2025 to US President Donald Trump and has long been interested in Lockheed Martin’s fighter.
The estimated $24.3 billion sale would include 48 of the military aircraft and 49 Pratt & Whitney engines along with communications equipment, spare parts and other support items, the State Department said.
Washington weighs weapons sales to the Middle East in a way that ensures Israel maintains a “qualitative military edge”, effectively guaranteeing that Israel gets more advanced US weapons than regional Arab states.
The F-35, built with stealth technology that allows it to evade enemy detection, is considered the world’s most advanced fighter jet. Israel has operated the aircraft for a decade, building multiple squadrons, and remains the only Middle Eastern country to possess the weapons system.
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
Saudi Arabia, the largest customer for US arms, has sought the fighter for years as it looks to modernize its air force and counter regional threats, particularly from Iran. The kingdom’s renewed push for what would constitute two squadrons comes as the Trump administration has signaled openness to deepening defense cooperation with Riyadh. The Saudi Air Force flies a mix of fighter aircraft including Boeing F-15s, European Tornados and Typhoons.
The F-35 issue has also been intertwined with broader diplomatic efforts. The administration of former US President Joe Biden previously explored providing F-35s to Saudi Arabia as part of a comprehensive deal that would have included Riyadh normalizing relations with Israel, though those efforts ultimately stalled.
Trump has made arms sales to Saudi Arabia a priority since returning to office. In 2025, the United States agreed to sell the kingdom an arms package worth nearly $142 billion, which the White House called “the largest defense cooperation agreement” Washington has ever done.
Congressional scrutiny could pose challenges to any F-35 sale. Lawmakers previously questioned arms deals with Riyadh following the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and some members of Congress remain wary of deepening military cooperation with the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is pursuing ambitious economic and military modernization plans under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 agenda. The kingdom has sought to diversify its defense partnerships in recent years while maintaining its decades-long security relationship with Washington.
Advertisement · Scroll to continue
Reporting by Ismail Shakil and Mike Stone; writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Nia Williams
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
发表回复