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Monday, Aug 11, 2025
Outside the box.
Spain Scraps F-35 Jet Deal as Trump Pushes for More NATO Spending
Spain has indefinitely shelved its plans to buy the US-made F-35 fighter jets, dealing a blow to Lockheed Martin and Washington's defence sales push. Instead, Madrid is choosing between the European-made Eurofighter and the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), keeping its $12.2 billion defence budget spending within Europe.
This decision also reflects growing concerns over the F-35's reliability, following a string of crashes and operational issues. Despite over 900 jets already delivered to allies like Israel, Japan, and the U.K., buyer confidence appears to be slipping.
Spain's move comes as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez resists US pressure to raise defence spending beyond NATO's 2 per cent target, a position that has drawn criticism and tariff threats from President Trump.
