Saudi F-35s: Another 'Regional Stability' Package for Profit?
The Independent breathlessly explains 'Why Saudi Arabia wants the F-35 fighter jet Trump agreed to sell,' citing its technological prowess and regional posturing. They float the usual Washington-approved justifications – deterring Iran, balancing Israel – without ever mentioning that the Kingdom's F-15s and Eurofighter Typhoons, already supplied by the West, have been busy bombing civilians in
Yemen for nearly a decade. Meanwhile, the F-35 program itself, a military money pit hailed as a technological leap, has been consistently plagued by cost overruns and performance issues, making it a perfect symbol of defense contractor welfare. (One might wonder if 'deterrence' for the Saudis means 'more tools for intervention' elsewhere). This isn't about Saudi security; it's about lucrative arms
deals. Lockheed Martin, the F-35 manufacturer, reported $67.6 billion in net sales in 2023. Every sale to a conflict-prone region like the Middle East practically guarantees future 'upgrades,' 'maintenance packages,' and 'replacement parts' – a perpetual profit engine built on instability. The mainstream media cheers on these deals as 'diplomacy,' while skipping the part where Yemenis continue to
die from Western-supplied weaponry. How stable does a region need to be before we stop flooding it with the most advanced killing machines?