Portugal Confirms U.S. F-35 as Preferred Fighter Jet to Replace Aging F-16 Fleet

https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/aerospace-news/2025/portugal-confirms-u-s-f-35-as-preferred-fighter-jet-to-replace-aging-f-16-fleet

Posted by TheoryOfDevolution

32 Comments

  1. Love how people here champion the Gripen when it has an American engine and uses their munitions.

  2. It’s funny that Europe thought Russia will invade to EU countries after Ukraine but now biggest and extremely possible threat is US.

  3. Countries will keep buying F-35s as long as their is no 5th gen alternative.

    F-35 is just miles ahead of any 4th gen jet

  4. ArugulaElectronic478 on

    The F-35 is the best whether you like it or not. It doesn’t only benefit the US, many countries help build them.

  5. DeRpY_CUCUMBER on

    There really can be no debate about the superiority of the F35 now. Between Israel having air superiority in Tehran, and the US in Caracas, if you don’t have stealth jets, you don’t have shit.

    F35 has now been tested against Russian air defense, Chinese air defense, and Iranian air defense. Caracas coastline was full of all of it.

    People in this sub looooved to call the f35 junk. Proving that this sub doesn’t know jack.

  6. Ya, maybe don’t, when the selling country threatens a war of annexation against a European ally of yours.

  7. There are no other comparable planes available. If you want combat power that you buy f35. If you want an airforce to patrol sky and do a flyby of a civilian airplane then buy one of those cheap Korean trainers.

  8. They saw how well they worked against Venezuela’s air defense comprised of mostly Russian provided equipment and flip flopped.

    Just to put it into perspective, multiple F-35s were used in that operation in Venezuela in which Maduro was captured.

    Yet no one, not even Venezuela could tell until it was revealed later by the U.S.

    That is how difficult it is for air defense systems and radars to detect an F-35. None of the alternatives come close.

  9. Portugal hasn’t confirmed anything. The article’s source is [this interview](https://www.dn.pt/sociedade/general-cartaxo-alves-nunca-tivemos-tanta-gente-em-formao-na-fora-area-como-temos-agora), from December, where the chief of the Portuguese air force *suggested* the F-35 as the primary option to replace the F-16s, but always stating afterwards that there are others (not named). The decision proper, according to him, will be made sometime this year.

  10. Portugal confirmed no such thing. It’s a well known fact that the Portuguese Air Force favours the F-35 over the other options, but they aren’t the ones who decide.

  11. **This is outdated news.** F-35 has the lowest range (distance it can travel without refueling). **Eurofigher was the winning choice** because of its long range. Portugal needs to cover a huge area over the sea, because that’s where the current threads come from (illegal boats). Portugal doesn’t need stealth aviation to destroy air defenses.

  12. Hello, mods? Read the OP’s title and then click the link provided.

    This is pure rage bait and the OP looks like a bot.

  13. chaoticprovidence on

    I’m confused by this one. I’m in Canada, anyone would kindly help me understand why Portugal did not pick a European option?

  14. if true, idiotic move knowing they are buying from a country that can decide on a whim to deactivate your full fleet.

  15. This (old) article is pure clickbait.

    It’s just an interview of the air force commander talking about the replacement of the F-16 fleet and he never said that Portugal would purchase the F-35, even though we know that the FAP favors the F-35.

    Also remember that the military isn’t the one deciding for such purchases, it’s the government only. The military only makes recommendations, the government is the sole decision-maker.

  16. MendaciousFerret on

    Well done, someone got a nice chunky discount by the looks of things. Hey maybe they could buy some 2nd hand from Denmark.

  17. Just wait until the US invades Greenland and we find out just how much software control the US has over all the F35’s it’s sold.

  18. reddit5678901234 on

    How the hell does any country trust the US manufactures right now. Especially in light of treats to invade Greenland. You dont think there is either a kill switch or software patch that disables those F35s. Fuck the generals can’t be THAT stupid ??????

  19. No no no, the F-16 is arguably a perfect light fighter, the F-35 requires you to stay on coms with Lockheed for 60 minutes and *still* eject!

  20. The plane is just an over priced iPhone that US will control and get you hooked in maintenance fees for until you give up on the plane.

  21. It is a nice plane but Portugal is a pretty small country with not a super strong economy. The Gripen would be pretty much twice as cost effective and without hidden US killswitches..

  22. Any-Original-6113 on

    Along with the acquisition of American jets, Portugal received an offer to cede a portion of its territory./ s