Saudi Arabia has shifted its defense procurement priorities away from French and Russian fighter jets and toward the American F-35 and Turkish KAAN, a move that comes as Donald Trump returns to the U.S. presidency and Riyadh hopes to strengthen military cooperation with Washington.

Saudi Arabia had previously expressed interest in purchasing French Dassault Rafale fighters. However, with Trump's inauguration in January 2025, Riyadh resumed talks on purchasing American fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighters. President Trump, in turn, has expressed a willingness to increase US military sales through F-35 deliveries, including to India and possibly Saudi Arabia.

In parallel, Saudi Arabia is considering purchasing 100 fifth-generation KAAN fighter jets from Turkey. The move is aimed at strengthening the kingdom's defense capabilities and developing technological cooperation with Ankara. The arms talks between the two countries could lead to an agreement worth around $6 billion.

Interest in Russian Su-57 fighters and the promising Su-75 (Checkmate) from Saudi Arabia, previously considered a potential buyer, has noticeably decreased. This may be due to political and economic factors, as well as Riyadh's desire to strengthen relations with Western and regional partners.

At the same time, Russia continues to promote its fighters on the international market. Algeria recently became the first foreign customer for the Su-57E, confirming the purchase of a batch of 12 aircraft with the possibility of increasing the order to 24 units.

In addition, at the Aero India 2025 air show, Russia's Su-57E attracted considerable attention by demonstrating its capabilities on Indian soil for the first time.

Saudi Arabia also announced plans to invest $600 billion in the U.S. economy over the next four years, a move by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that underscores the kingdom's push to strengthen economic and military ties with the United States.