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.
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