Recently, the Saudi Sami Salem Airline company "joked" in a National Day promotional video, showcasing a J-20 model painted with the Saudi flag and numbered 78272 - this is the "ID number" of China's first batch of fifth-generation fighters! As soon as the video went viral, SAMI hastily deleted that part, which seems to have a "this place has no silver" flavor.

Netizens were in an uproar: is it implying that Saudi Arabia wants to buy the J-20? Or is it just showing off "I can repair fifth-generation fighters"? Let's take a look at the possibility of this Middle Eastern arms sale drama, and add some seasoning!

Why might the J-20 fly to Saudi Arabia?

Firstly, the "drama" of geopolitics: The United States is blocking Saudi Arabia and the UAE's F-35 procurement to protect Israel's F-35I air supremacy, acting like a "guardian" against a "girlfriend".

Saudi, upset, went to Beijing to flirt with China, with high-level meetings heating up, even signing a nuclear security treaty with Pakistan. This J-20 model may be a "challenge" from the Saudi royal family to the United States: if you don't sell F-35, I will rely on China! It should be noted that Saudi's military spending exceeds $8 billion in 2025, buying a few J-20s is as easy as buying a Rolls-Royce.

Secondly, the "downgrade promotion" after China's sixth-generation fighter era: the J-20 is a "lady of the house" in China, but after the successful test flight of the sixth-generation fighter, it may have to "move to the second line." Exporting a customized version of the J-20, signing a confidentiality agreement, ensuring technology doesn't leak, and recouping funds, is a very cost-effective deal! If Saudi really buys it, the F-35I of Israel would shiver, and the "traffic password" of the Middle East sky would change hands.

Last but not least, we cannot rule out the "trick" of the Saudi Sami Salem Airline company: this company is not a roadside stall, it is the major manager of the Saudi Air Force, specializing in repairing military aircraft. This video "mistake" releasing the J-20 may be to show off "I can repair fifth-generation fighters," or it may be a "smoke screen" for Sino-Saudi cooperation. After all, both Saudi and the UAE are eager for the technological transfer of China's J-20 and J-35, which is a "sweetness" that the United States refuses to give.

So, don't rush to draw conclusions, exporting the J-20 isn't that simple!

Don't guess China's mind: the J-20 is a national treasure-level equipment, its core technology is protected more tightly than a lover's diary. Export? Don't even think about it in the short term! At most, you can get the J-35, or through Pakistan as a "backdoor." China is more skilled in this kind of "borrowing flowers to offer Buddha" strategy. Saudi needs to be careful, don't expect to directly drive away the "lady of the house."

The "tightening spell" of the United States is also a major negative factor: although Saudi is an American ally, purchasing the J-20 may face sanctions, and Trump's Abraham Accords are still watching closely. Saudi recently also collaborated with Britain, Italy, and Japan on a sixth-generation fighter, clearly showing that they don't want to put all their eggs in the Chinese basket. Buying the J-20? It may have to weigh the US's face first.

The "hard bone" of maintenance: maintaining the J-20 is more troublesome than raising a celebrity, even though the Saudi Sami Salem Airline Company has several wide-body hangars, building an ecosystem from scratch is as difficult as making a camel fly into the sky. The J-20 model in the video is probably just an advertisement by the Saudi Sami Salem Airline Company, and if it really lands, it may have to wait for Saudi to learn "cultivation."

True purchase or pretense?

The possibility of exporting the J-20 to Saudi? Give it a 20-30% "friendship score"! This matter is more like Saudi playing a "right and left" game between China and the US: pressuring the US to loosen up the F-35 while testing how much sweetness China can offer. In the short term, the J-35 or a "buying agent" through Pakistan is more reliable; in the long run, if China's sixth-generation fighter takes over, the J-20's "downgrade" export is not impossible.

In summary, the Saudi Sami Salem Airline company's move is like a "joke" in the Middle Eastern arms sale drama, after laughing, you still need to see who is better at acting in the three-party game!

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559588462283604499/

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