Portugal wobbles on buying F-35s because of Trump

 

Portugal wobbles on buying F-35s because of Trump

 

The country’s defense ministry says that the Lockheed Martin F-35s “were not ruled out.”

 

“We cannot ignore the geopolitical environment in our choices," Portugal's outgoing Defense Minister Nuno Melo said.

 

March 14, 2025 12:17 am CET

By Laura Kayali

https://www.politico.eu/article/portugal-rules-out-buying-f-35s-because-of-trump/

 

Portugal is getting cold feet about replacing its U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets with more modern F-35s because of Donald Trump — in one of the first examples of the U.S. president undermining a potential lucrative arms deal.

 

The country's air force has recommended buying Lockheed Martin F-35s, but when outgoing Defense Minister Nuno Melo was asked by Portugese media Público whether the government would follow that recommendation, he replied: “We cannot ignore the geopolitical environment in our choices. The recent position of the United States, in the context of NATO ... must make us think about the best options, because the predictability of our allies is a greater asset to take into account."

 

The defense ministry later sent a statement to POLITICO saying: "F-35s fighters were not ruled out from the F-16 replacement selection process."

 

The ministry added a series of criteria that will be considered by Lisbon, including: "The geopolitical context" and "The extent of restrictions on the use of aircraft."

 

With the dramatic realignment taking place under Trump — who said again he would annex Greenland and threatened Canada — there are fears the U.S. government could decide block access to software updates and spare parts needed to make the F-35 fully operational.

 

"The world has changed ... and this ally of ours ... could bring limitations to use, maintenance, components, and everything that has to do with ensuring that aircraft will be operational and used in all types of scenarios," Melo said.

 

He added: "There are several options that must be considered, particularly in the context of European production."

 

A spokesperson for the jet-maker said: "Lockheed Martin values our strong partnership and history with the Portuguese Air Force and looks forward to continuing that partnership into the future. The F-35 is the most advanced, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world, enabling 21st Century Security® and allied deterrence. Questions about foreign military sales of the F-35 are best addressed by the U.S. government."

 

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said earlier this week that the Netherlands would not cancel its contract for the jets. However, Lisbon hasn't signed a deal yet.

 

Portugal is holding a snap election after the collapse of its center-right government.

 

This article has been updated with a statement from the Portuguese defense ministry clarifying its position that it has not ruled out buying F-35s.