Spain is the second country in the Iberian Peninsula to have concerns about the F-35 stealth fighter jet.
Spanish media reports circulated earlier in the week indicating that the Spanish military—which had planned to purchase the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet—would no longer go through with the deal.
If those reports prove accurate, Spain would be the second country from the Iberian Peninsula to turn away from the stealth fighter jet, after Portugal’s hesitations to procure the aircraft earlier in the year.
Spain Balked at the F-35’s Price Tag
According to the Spanish newspaper El País, the Spanish government has decided not to purchase the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet and instead turn to a European-made aircraft.
In April, the Spanish government approved a $12 billion (€10.4 billion) security and defense package. It also reaffirmed its commitment to eventually spend two percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, as NATO has required for years.
However, Madrid has pointedly refused to increase spending to five percent of its GDP, NATO’s new benchmark as established in its 2025 annual summit in The Hague. This position has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump, who threatened tariffs on Spanish goods in response.
As a condition of approving the $12 billion package, the Spanish government committed to spending a whopping 85 percent of the funds in Europe. Much of these funds will likely be dedicated to modernizing Spain’s aging aircraft fleet; Madrid still operates the AV-8B Harrier “jump jet,” as well as the more modern F/A-18 Hornet. The F-35 might have been able to replace both aircraft, albeit at a considerable cost.
Portugal Rejected the F-35 Months Before Spain
Spain is the second country in the Iberian Peninsula to have concerns about the F-35 stealth fighter jet.
Earlier in the year, Portuguese government officials expressed concerns about the viability of procuring the F-35—particularly after remarks by Trump that Portuguese officials perceived as hostile.
“We cannot ignore the geopolitical environment in our choices,” the outgoing Portuguese Defense Minister Nuno Melo said to the Portuguese media Público. “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.”
Lisbon’s concerns stemmed mainly from concerns about reliance on the United States for key software updates and logistics. The Portuguese government evidently surmised that purchasing the F-35 would mean that it would have to follow US foreign policy decisions in the future.
To make matters more complicated, the Portuguese Air Force had officially embraced the purchase of the F-35 as its next-generation fighter jet before the Trump incident—raising questions as to the future.
Although Portugal seems to be moving on toward a new fighter jet platform, Lockheed Martin, the F-35’s manufacturer, continues to cultivate its network in the Iberian country in case Lisbon has a change of heart. In June, the aerospace and defense giant signed a deal with a Portuguese industry group for opportunities for local participation in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
The F-35 is a multirole, fifth-generation stealth fighter jet that can conduct several different mission sets. It comes in three versions (A, B, and C) that share similar capabilities but deploy in different ways, including from conventional runways, as Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft, and from aircraft carriers.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
