The Royal Saudi Air Force’s F-15 fighter fleet is set to receive expanded sustainment support following US State Department approval of a potential $3 billion Foreign Military Sales (FMS) package.
Saudi Arabia’s request covers a broad range of sustainment elements, including spare and repair parts, consumables, accessories, repair-and-return services, ground and personnel equipment, as well as classified and unclassified software and associated support, aimed at maintaining fleet readiness.
With more than 200 F-15 aircraft in service, Saudi Arabia is the second-largest operator of the type globally, behind only the US Air Force.
According to a notice from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the proposed sale involves multiple US defense suppliers, although no prime contractor has been designated.
The approval is intended to bolster the defense capabilities of a major non-NATO ally, a status formally granted to Saudi Arabia by Washington in November 2025. While the designation provides preferential access to US defense equipment, it does not include NATO’s collective defense commitments.
Saudi Arabia’s broader modernization efforts continue across multiple domains. The Kingdom has publicly expressed interest in acquiring up to 48 F-35 stealth fighters, a proposal that remains under review by the US government but has yet to receive formal FMS approval.
In December 2025, Washington authorized two potential $1 billion FMS cases covering sustainment support for Saudi Arabia’s UH-60 Black Hawk, AH-64 Apache, CH-47F Chinook, Schweizer 333, and Aerial Scout aircraft, alongside aviation training programs. More recently, the US approved a potential $9 billion sale of up to 730 PAC-3 MSE missiles and associated equipment.
