Decision dubbed “one of first examples of US president killing potential lucrative arms deal’
An interview with Portugal’s defence minister Nuno Melo suggesting Portugal is rethinking a €5.5 billion purchase of US F-35 fighter jets is reverberating over social media.
As so often happens, Melo’s words have been turned to suggest the government has completely discounted the purchase. He did not actually say that – and the government has fallen, with new elections coming in a couple of months.
Thus, the situation is far from clear-cut.
But the story shows how Europe is changing its attitude to American military hardware, not least because there is the danger that, in purchasing it, countries could find themselves unable to use it when they wanted to, as the US holds critical controls.
Politico explains: “Portugal’s air force has recommended buying Lockheed Martin F-35s, but when outgoing Defence 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 to block access to software updates and spare parts needed to make the F-35 fully operational, says Politico.
“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 told Público, adding that “there are several options that must be considered, particularly in the context of European production, and also considering the return these options may have on the Portuguese economy”.
Earlier this week, Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans inferred that the Netherlands will not be cancelling the contract it has signed for F-35 jets, but Portugal seems to be in an ‘in-between’ situation: it has said it wants to buy 28 jets to replace its current fleet of F-16s, but, according to Politico, no contract has yet been signed.
This is not what Diário de Notícias suggested last year, in an article in which Chief of the General Staff of the Portuguese Air Force, General João Cartaxo Alves, said the transition to F-35s had already begun, albeit it would be taking a 20-year period.
Reaction to Melo’s words, and the wider media’s interpretations, have caused a flurry of posts over ‘X’ social network, with some commentators suggesting the news is “MASSIVE”, that Portugal is just the first “of many European nations to come” who will be rethinking purchases from the United States, while others have been disparaging and saying it was akin to the Coca Cola giant being told someone had cancelled an order for a six-pack of soda.
But the move away (or at least the thought of the move away) from purchasing fighter jets and other forms of equipment is said to be being considered by a number of other countries. The effects in terms of lost revenue for the United States would be vast.
As to where Portugal might eventually seek out replacements for its 28 F-16 jets, Nuno Melo told Público that it was “not a discussion” for their interview.
