Mike Pence Flags ‘Concerns’ Over F-35 Deal Ahead Of Trump Meeting With Saudi Crown Prince: Report

According to an interview with Bloomberg, Trump’s former vice president said he is concerned that advanced U.S. defence technology may fall into the wrong hands.

• President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman later on Tuesday.
• U.S.-Saudi talks are expected to cover defense and civilian nuclear agreements.
• Officials are reportedly worried the sale could expose F-35 technology to China.

Mike Pence, former Vice President from President Donald Trump’s first term, reportedly expressed concerns on Tuesday about the administration’s recent agreements with Saudi Arabia, ahead of Trump’s scheduled meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Pence cited the possible sale of Lockheed Martin’s (LMT) F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia as a key concern. LMT’s stock traded flat in pre-market trade.

“I have concerns about the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia or any nation that could not assure the United States that technology, and the great advancements that we’ve made with the F-35, don’t fall into the hands of nations that are hostile to our interests,” Pence said. He added that he trusted Trump to make decisions that protect U.S. strategic interests.

Pence’s comments come after Trump confirmed the sale in remarks to reporters Monday, calling Saudi Arabia “a great ally” and saying, “We will be doing that. We will be selling F-35 jets.”

Trump To Meet Saudi Crown Prince

According to a BBC report, Trump and the Saudi crown prince are expected to discuss agreements on defense and civilian nuclear power during the White House visit. This is the first time the Saudi leader will be visiting the U.S. since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents.

The two leaders previously met in Riyadh in May, when the U.S. agreed to sell nearly $142 billion in arms to Saudi Arabia as part of a broader $600 billion investment package. The deal marked the largest U.S. defense sales agreement in history, with Saudi Arabia as the country’s largest arms buyer.

Some American defense officials have expressed concern that providing Saudi Arabia with F-35 jets, the world’s most advanced fighter, could expose sensitive stealth technology, potentially allowing China access through their security partnership. 

Israeli officials have also warned that the deal could threaten the country’s military advantage. Israel is currently the only Middle Eastern nation operating F-35s. Each F-35A costs approximately $82.5 million, according to Lockheed Martin.

U.S. equities were in the red during pre-market trade on Tuesday. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) fell 0.46%, the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) slipped 0.69%, and the Nasdaq-100 tracking Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) dipped 0.59%. 

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