Madrid [Spain], August 7 (ANI): Spain has likely decided to “indefinitely” suspend its plans to purchase the United States-made fifth-generation stealth F-35 fighter aircraft, according to a report by Politico.
Citing Spanish media sources, Politico reported that preliminary talks for acquiring the American stealth jets have been halted. Instead, the Spanish government is now exploring European alternatives such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and the forthcoming Future Combat Air System (FCAS). “The Spanish option involves the current Eurofighter and the FCAS in the future,” Politico quoted Spanish defense ministry sources as saying.
The decision marks a significant setback for Lockheed Martin, the US defense contractor behind the F-35. Spain had earlier expressed interest in the F-35 program, having issued a non-binding request for information in 2017. The Spanish government’s 2023 budget had allocated more than six billion euros to replace both its Navy and Air Force aircraft.
Spain’s Navy intends to retire its Harrier AV-8B fighters by 2030 and had considered the F-35B variant as a replacement due to its short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities. This variant is already operational in the United States and Italy. Simultaneously, the Spanish Air Force had been evaluating the F-35A model as a stopgap measure to replace its aging fleet of McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornets while awaiting the deployment of FCAS.
Politico also suggested that this procurement shift could place additional strain on relations between Spain and the United States. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has openly criticized NATO’s new defense spending target of five percent of GDP—an objective championed by US President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is also looking to acquire two to three squadrons of fifth-generation fighter jets from foreign sources to enhance its capabilities until the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) becomes operational.
In response to a question in the Lok Sabha about potential F-35 acquisition and broader India-US defense ties, Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh stated that “no formal discussions” have taken place. He noted that the India-US Joint Statement following the February 13, 2025 meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump mentioned that the US would review its policy on releasing fifth-generation fighters and undersea systems to India, but no official talks have been held yet.
Separately, President Trump recently imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, citing national security concerns over India’s ongoing oil trade with Russia. “We did it with India. We are doing it probably with a couple of others; one of them could be China,” Trump stated.
India denounced the move as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.” (ANI)
About The Author
