Spain has officially withdrawn from preliminary talks to acquire U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets and is now weighing two European alternatives: the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a spokesperson from the Spanish Ministry of Defence confirmed on Wednesday.
The move follows months of internal deliberation and aligns with the government’s broader defense procurement strategy, which favors European-made systems. Talks with U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35, have been suspended indefinitely, according to reports by Spanish daily El País, citing unnamed government sources.Although the 2023 budget had allocated €6.25 billion ($7.24 billion) for the acquisition of new fighter aircraft, the government’s revised spending plans direct the majority of new defense investments toward European programs. In April, Spain approved a €10.5 billion ($12.1 billion) defense budget for the year, with approximately 85% earmarked for domestically or European-produced military technologies.
This shift effectively rules out the purchase of the F-35, as U.S.-made platforms are now considered incompatible with Spain’s current procurement priorities.
Spain’s defense posture has come under increased scrutiny following Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s decision to increase military spending to meet NATO’s 2% of GDP target. However, he rejected proposals to raise that figure to 5%, a stance that drew criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has publicly threatened additional tariffs on Spanish goods.
Neither Lockheed Martin nor the U.S. embassy in Madrid have issued comments on the development.