Visitors view an F-35 fighter on USS Gerald R. Ford after its commissioning ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, the United States, on July 22, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. State Department approved a sale of 34 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take-off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft to Belgium, the Pentagon said on Friday.

According to a statement published by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency under the U.S. Department of Defense, the agency notified Congress of the sale for an estimated 6.53 billion U.S. dollars later Friday.

The sale would also include 38 Pratt & Whitney F-135 engines -- 34 installed ones and four spares -- as well as other equipment for the radar-evading high-tech fighter.

The sale will "improve the security of an ally and partner nation which has been, and continues to be, an important force for political and economic stability in Western Europe," the statement read.

The sale of F-35s is expected to provide Belgium with "a credible defense capability to deter aggression in the region and ensure interoperability with U.S. forces," said the agency.

The governments of Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and others are also potential customers of the jet.