Recent changes in U.S. policy towards NATO have led Portugal’s defense minister to deem the potential purchase of the F-35 highly unlikely. In an interview with the Portuguese publication Público, published on March 13, 2025, Portugal’s Minister of Defense, Nuno Melo, ruled out the possibility of ordering the fifth-generation fighter jet, joining other European nations reassessing their defense procurement strategies.
The minister pointed directly to the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration as a key factor in his decision. Trump’s controversial remarks on NATO, questioning the contributions of Alliance members and even suggesting that the U.S. might not fulfill its defense commitments, along with the decision to halt arms supplies and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after a meeting with President Zelensky at the White House, have raised concerns across Europe.
“The F-16 fighters are at the end of their lifecycle, and we will have to think about replacing them. However, we cannot ignore the geopolitical environment in our decision-making. The recent position of the U.S. regarding NATO and its broader international geostrategic stance should make us think about the best options, as the predictability of our allies is a more valuable asset that we must consider. We need to believe that, under any circumstances, these allies will be on our side. There are several options to consider, especially in the context of European manufacturing, as well as the potential economic benefits these options may bring to Portugal,” Melo said in the interview.
“The world has already changed. There have been elections in the U.S., and a position on NATO and the world has been expressed by the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the President himself, which must be taken into account both in Europe and with regard to Portugal. And this ally of ours, which has always been predictable for decades, may introduce restrictions on the use, maintenance, components, and everything related to ensuring that aircraft are operational and can be used in all types of scenarios.”
Notably, Portugal is also reconsidering the purchase due to potential restrictions from the U.S. on the operation of foreign F-35s, including the refusal to update software managed by the U.S., which is necessary to maintain optimal operational performance and aircraft safety.
The U.S. government has the ability to remotely disable or restrict the operational capabilities of foreign F-35 fighters. Additionally, international F-35 operators “are not permitted to conduct independent operational testing outside the Continental United States (CONUS) based on U.S. policy.” U.S. government security regulations and the National Defense Policy (NDP) require U.S. citizens to perform specific functions to protect critical American technologies.
In a separate, detailed interview with the Portuguese newspaper Diário de Notícias, published on April 12, 2024, the Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Air Force, General João Cartaxo Alves, confirmed the Portuguese Air Force’s plan to replace the F-16 with Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft, stating that the transition has already begun. General Cartaxo Alves emphasized that this decision is aimed at ensuring Portugal does not fall behind the majority of its European allies, who have already started transitioning to the F-35 as part of their strategic efforts.
It is worth noting that Portugal’s acquisition of the F-35 has always been somewhat controversial. In April 2024, João Cartaxo Alves confirmed that the Air Force is in a “transitional” phase towards stealth fighter jets, aligning with decisions made by several NATO partners. The Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Air Force also added that the transition to the new fighter jet will take approximately two decades, with a budget of €5.5 billion allocated for the program.
Cartaxo Alves’ statements made headlines in 2023 as well: during a conference on military airlift and refueling in Lisbon, the Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Air Force publicly acknowledged that the Lockheed Martin fifth-generation fighter is a suitable replacement for the country’s aging F-16 fleet. However, the government quickly dampened this enthusiasm. The Ministry of Defense of Portugal wasted no time in clarifying that no official procurement process was underway. “This is a vision for the future, so there is currently no procurement process for replacing the F-16,” said Ministry spokesperson Helena Carreiras in an interview with Breaking Defense.
Fast forward to March 2025, and the issue of the F-35 no longer seems to be on the agenda, with Portugal’s next step still unclear. When asked about the possibility of acquiring the Dassault Rafale, Minister Mello declined to comment. It is likely that various options will be considered, including the Saab Gripen and Eurofighter Typhoon.
As expected, the tension between the new US administration and NATO is already prompting some countries (and likely will prompt more in the future) to reconsider their defense procurement decisions.
Source: TheAviationist
