On the 22nd the Portuguese Air Force Chief of Staff was one of many speakers at a major conference in Lisbon about national defense. The event, organized by Diário de Notícias, brought a vast array of political, business and military leaders for a talk on defense, the new world order and what Portugal’s and Europe’s current capabilities are and what’s lacking.
In a time of intense debate, particularly in the media, over Portugal’s question of what jet to procure to replace its ageing F-16 fighters, and given recent comments by the Minister of Defense, the highlight of the day was whether or not there were other options to the F-35 for the Portuguese Air Force.
For the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Cartaxo Alves, the answer was simple, the F-35 is a must for Portugal and its Air Force.
For him there are several reasons, first and foremost is the recent strategy for the transformation of airpower released last year, Força Aérea 5.3, where it was stated that a 5th generation fighter was a strategic and operational must-have. The General reiterated this idea, reminding that the F-35 is the only jet on the market capable of bringing the needed technological leap forward. He reminded the fact that Lockheed Martin’s fighter boasts a superior survivability and connectivity that European fighters cannot match, namely the Eurofighter, Rafale and Gripen.
He also noted the fact that in the future over 600 F-35s will be flying over European skies, the Italian final assembly line, the vast participation of European industry in the manufacture and maintenance of the jet, and the ever-increasing number of countries operating and buying the American fighter.
On a last note, speaking about the procurement costs of the F-35, he emphasized that buying 27 jets for 5.5 billion euros isn’t the only option for Portugal. He noted that, given current contacts, several packages are possible, one of which could be the purchase of 14 fighters for 3.4 billion euros as a 1st phase procurement.
Overall, after Nuno Melo’s statement on Portugal looking at other options, for the Air Force the F-16s replacement is still clear, the F-35 is a must and a technological necessity.
