Portugal has ruled out replacing its American F-16 fighters with more modern F-35s. Thus, US President Donald Trump lost the chance to conclude a potentially profitable arms sales deal, UNN reports with reference to Рolitico.
In a conversation with representatives of the Portuguese press, Melo was asked whether the government would follow the recommendation of the country's Air Force to purchase Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters.
We cannot ignore the geopolitical environment in our choice. The recent position of the United States in the context of NATO should make us think about the best options, because the predictability of our allies is a greater advantage that should be taken into account
Fighters intercepted a plane near Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in US10.03.25, 14:00 • [views_20770]
Melo also emphasized that there is a risk that the United States will impose "restrictions on the use, maintenance, components and everything related to the fact that the aircraft are in working order and used in all types of scenarios".
Melo also added that there are several options that "need to be considered, especially in the context of European production".
Addition
Germany is concerned that US President Donald Trump may cut off support for F-35 fighters. Concerns arose against the background of the fact that the United States stopped supplying weapons and intelligence to Ukraine.
In 2024, military equipment exports from Sweden reached the highest level in history, amounting to 2.9 billion US dollars, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to cause global security concerns.