The USA is unhappy with Saudi Arabia’s attempts to bring in new partners to build up its military capabilities.
The American side is worried that contracts with other countries, especially Turkey, will hurt USA arms exports, according to Middle East Eye.
During his recent visit to Washington, President Donald Trump confirmed the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the kingdom and the signing of a large-scale defense agreement. However, American diplomats continue to demand clear information from Riyadh regarding its military and technical contacts with other countries in the region.
USA Presses Saudi Arabia to Reconsider KAAN and JF-17 Purchase
Washington has already managed to obtain guarantees from the Saudi side that it will not purchase Pakistani JF-17 aircraft. Earlier, the possibility of writing off Islamabad’s debts in exchange for the supply of these fighter jets was discussed, but under pressure from the USA, this process was stopped.
Currently, the USA is most concerned about Saudi Arabia’s potential participation in Turkey’s program to create the fifth-generation KAAN fighter jet. Riyadh has not yet provided its American partners with any assurances that it will refuse to cooperate on this project.
The US Department of Defense doubts the advisability of purchasing Turkish aircraft, as the kingdom already has a powerful fleet of F-15s and Eurofighter Typhoons.
The White House’s main complaint is that the funds that could be invested in the Turkish KAAN are actually being taken from the budget for the purchase of American products. The Trump administration seeks to secure the status of the USA as the sole supplier of weapons to the kingdom.
