Recently, the Spanish government is said to have made the decision to reject the potential acquisition of the new F-35 stealth fighters from the United States as part of the modernization process of the Spanish Armed Forces. The main impact of this decision would fall on the Spanish Navy, which would be left without a next-generation aircraft to replace the aging AV‑8B+ Harrier attack jets, which are set to be retired in the near future.
As we reported in 2023, the Spanish Navy is in the process of decommissioning its AV‑8B+ Harriers. Despite their prolonged operational life, the Harrier, currently deployed from the strategic projection vessel Juan Carlos I, is scheduled to be retired by 2030, with no firm plan in place for its replacement with a new aircraft.
According to what official sources have reportedly stated, the acquisition of up to 50 units of Lockheed Martin’s fifth-generation aircraft – including the F‑35B version required to replace the shipborne Harriers – has been suspended indefinitely for strategic, industrial, and political reasons. Spain has chosen to favor European alternatives, such as the Eurofighter, the Rafale, or even the future FCAS fighter, which would leave the Navy behind, as none of these aircraft have VTOL versions similar to the F-35.
The F‑35B’s specialization for shipborne operations with vertical landing (STOVL) makes it the only viable and available option to replace the AV‑8B+ in the Navy’s air fleet. However, the Spanish government has avoided moving in that direction, refusing to commit those resources to a system dependent on the U.S. defense industry and its logistical control.
This scenario leaves the Spanish Navy in a critical position: when the Harriers are decommissioned around 2030, it is highly likely that Spain will no longer have fixed-wing carrier aviation. In the best-case scenario, only helicopters will be operated until the construction of a new aircraft carrier is deemed viable, with its type and aircraft takeoff and landing system still undefined, currently under study but not addressing the short- or medium-term operational gap.
Meanwhile, the Air and Space Force will continue its modernization through the incorporation of the new Eurofighters under the Halcón I and II programs. Additionally, Spain is actively participating in the European FCAS (Future Combat Air System) program, with the prospect of having sixth-generation fighters around 2040.
However, it is worth noting that this program hangs by a thread, given that in July of this year, France stated its intention to manufacture 80% of the fighter locally, along with statements made by Éric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, during the same month, heightening tensions among the various governments involved in the program and others who could be potential buyers.
In conclusion, it can be noted that with the retirement of the AV‑8B+ Harriers and the rejection of the F‑35B, the Spanish Navy will lose its shipborne fixed-wing aviation without a replacement in sight. While the Air Force may modernize through the Eurofighter or – in the long term – with the FCAS, carrier-based air capability is vanishing, creating a clear strategic vulnerability. The naval air power of projection will remain only in name, stripped of the core platform that sustained it.
Images for illustrative purposes only.
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Far left extremist Spanish government is destroying the army, and its air force as well. They need a real government to protect Spain and take most cutting edge technology for the army.