Portugal won't buy Lockheed Martin F-35s from the United States though the country's air force gave a go-ahead for that. The country now wants to take

Donald Trump immediately initiated a trade war at the start of his second term in the White House. The US imposes extreme trade tariffs and faces retaliatory tariffs in return. An explosive ping pong game.

In an interview with the Portuguese news agency Público, Portugal's Defense Minister Nuno Melo announced his decision against procuring fifth-generation F-35 fighters. This choice is influenced by the current policies of the Donald Trump administration and concerns over potential restrictions by the U.

The Lockheed Martin F-35 multirole fighter aircraft was considered the front runner to meet this need. In fact, in 2023 the Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Air Force (FAP), General João Guilherme Rosado Cartaxo Alves stated that the F-35A was the preferred choice.

In spite of the Portuguese Air Force’s recommendation to purchase F-35 jets, Portugal’s outgoing defence minister has rejected the idea and confirmed that the government is considering other options