US will sell F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia, Trump says

The United States intends to sell F-35 warplanes to Saudi Arabia, a decision confirmed by President Donald Trump. This sale moves forward despite objections from two key groups: Israel, which is concerned about maintaining its qualitative military edge, and some US security officials worried about China gaining access to the sensitive technology. Historically, Israeli concerns over arms sales to Arab nations have been addressed by providing Israel with superior technology or by selling downgraded versions of the hardware. The F-35s also reportedly contain a "kill switch," allowing the US to remotely disable the aircraft.