Portugal Rules Out Buying US F-35 Fighter Jets

Politico Europe reports:

Portugal ruled out 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 killing 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.”

With the dramatic realignment taking place under Trump — who said again today 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.

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THIS IS MASSIVE.

Portugal has cancelled the order for F-35s from the US and will replace their F-16s with European fighters.

“We have to be able to count on the predictability of our allies, which is no longer the case with the United States.” pic.twitter.com/eOimBSqu2B

— John O’Connell (@jdpoc) March 13, 2025