Will Spain, one of the three Scaf partners with France and Germany, put a new nail in the coffin of the European plane of the future? According to the newspaper El País, the Spanish Air Force has reaffirmed its interest in the F-35 to replace the 80 F-18s before the end of the decade.
This choice would be made to the detriment of the Eurofighter, but could lead to the questioning of Madrid’s participation in the Scaf program, due to a lack of sufficient budget. According to The countrya budget of around 10,000 million euros would have been mentioned.
These discussions are based on the disagreement between Dassault and Airbus that caused a delay in the Scaf program that is difficult to assess. The Scaf may not be ready before 2040. To rebuild a fleet of aircraft capable of providing defense for several decades, the Spanish military would prefer the US aircraft from Lockheed Martin.
For naval aviation, the F-35B is even the only alternative to replace the AV-8 Harrier II. There is no current European aircraft or in preparation in the STOVL version that allows a short take-off and vertical landing on the Spanish Navy’s aircraft carriers.
Discussions with Lockheed Martin
This debate about buying fifth-generation devices is not new. In 2021, a close associate of Lockheed Martin revealed conversations with Madrid for the purchase of 50 aircraft, 25 for the Spanish Navy and 25 for the Air Force.
Madrid had quickly denied these confidences claiming not to have a budget “to undertake another plane project in addition to the one that is already underway”, in this case the Scaf. But Greg Ulmer, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin, said talks had indeed started with Madrid.
If Spain signed an F-35 contract, it would be the second of the three countries involved in the Scaf program. Germany has decided this year to equip itself with 35 F-35s and, as a consolation prize for Europe, 15 Airbus Eurofighters.
Source: BFM TV
