Portugal has decided against buying American-built F-35 fighter jets, suggesting it was not the “best option” as President Donald Trump oversees a shift in U.S. foreign policy.
The Portuguese Air Force had recommended replacing its F-16s with the state-of-the-art F-35s, but the country’s defense minister said he feared the U.S. could impose “limitations” on access to jet components and crucial software amid a global shift in political alliances.
It marks one of the first examples of the Trump presidency causing a potentially lucrative arms deal to fall by the wayside, the Politico website reported, as countries move away from buying U.S. defense equipment owing to mounting fears in Europe that America is no longer a trustworthy ally and is too aligned to adversaries such as Russia.
It is feared that Washington may blackmail buyers of U.S. defense equipment into supporting its policies by threatening to impose limits on their use or refusing to provide vital software upgrades.
Speaking to Portuguese news site Público, Nuno Melo, the country’s defense minister, said that “the recent position of the United States, in the context of NATO... must make us think about the best options” when it comes to reinforcing military infrastructure.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump and his administration have engaged in often aggressive rhetoric towards NATO, castigating it for not spending enough on defense, while also rounding on the EU.
“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,” the minister said. He added that Portugal should consider other options, especially aircraft built in Europe.
Jet-maker Lockheed Martin told Politico that it “values our strong partnership and history with the Portuguese Air Force,” saying that questions about foreign sales of the F-35 “are best addressed by the U.S. government.”
Earlier this week, the Netherlands said it would not cancel an order it has already placed for new jets from the U.S., Politico wrote. Data released on Monday showed that the United States is by far the biggest exporter of major arms, with sales by Washington amounting to 43% of global trade in the past five years.
