The US State Department has approved a potential $3 billion FMS case to provide sustainment services for the Royal Saudi Air Force’s F-15 fighter aircraft.
The Saudi request includes spares, repair parts, consumables, and accessories, as well as repair-and-return support, ground handling equipment, personnel equipment, and both classified and unclassified software with related support, ensuring continued operational readiness.
Saudi Arabia operates over 200 F-15 fighters, making it the second-largest F-15 fleet worldwide after that of the United States.
A DSCA notification noted that the proposed sale involves several defense suppliers, though no prime contractor has been identified at this stage.
The approval is intended to strengthen the military capabilities of a major non-NATO ally, a designation Saudi Arabia received from the US in November 2025. The status facilitates access to US defense materiel but does not carry mutual defense obligations.
The sustainment package is part of a wider Saudi military modernization effort. Riyadh has indicated interest in procuring up to 48 F-35 aircraft, a proposal that remains under consideration by US authorities.
Separately, in December 2025, the US approved two potential $1 billion FMS cases supporting the sustainment of Saudi rotary-wing and trainer aircraft fleets, including Black Hawks, Apaches, Chinooks, and Schweizer 333s. Earlier this month, Washington also cleared a potential $9 billion sale of PAC-3 MSE interceptors to enhance Saudi Arabia’s missile defense capabilities.
