Seeking to provide certainty for the program after various back-and-forth developments observed since the beginning of the year, the authorities of the Portuguese Air Force have indicated that they continue to project the F-35 as the replacement for their F-16 fighters, while waiting for a definitive political decision that will allow them to move forward with the acquisitions. The development in question was one of those pointed out by the Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Air Force, General Cartaxo Alves, during a recent interview with local media.
Recalling some of his own statements: “It is up to the Air Force to determine what the best military solution is for a given capability. Naturally, it is then up to the political power to make the final decision, weighing advantages, disadvantages, and risks, and deciding whether or not to follow that path (…) We are fully aware of the firm stance taken by the majority of countries. But we must also consider factors such as delivery times, for both fifth and sixth-generation aircraft. These options are not incompatible. If Portugal acts correctly, we could have fifth-generation aircraft and, subsequently, sixth-generation aircraft entering service within that timeframe.”
While officially the general maintained that the country is evaluating a wide range of options regarding which platform will replace the F-16s, the aforementioned words inevitably point to the intention of incorporating the F-35 and opening the way in the future toward a sixth-generation model, possessing until then the most modern capabilities with which European Air Forces operate and without falling into capability gaps. This does not necessarily mean that purchases of fourth-generation platforms are completely ruled out, but rather, as General Alves himself indicated, they could have a complementary role with the American-origin aircraft.
It is worth remembering in this sense, as we reported at the end of last October, that Airbus has sought to promote the Eurofighter fighter as one of the candidates to replace the F-16 as the backbone of the Portuguese Air Force’s capabilities. Particularly, the company has even already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Portuguese Cluster of Aeronautics, Space, and Defense Industries (AED Cluster Portugal), which allowed it to initiate studies to profile a concrete sales proposal that also involves local industry. Other possible alternatives lie in the Gripen E models from the Swedish company Saab, as well as the Rafale fighters produced by the French company Dassault.
Regarding the number of aircraft that would be acquired, the figure remains unspecified, but the aforementioned authority provided an estimated range of between 14 and 28 aircraft in total; a margin that should not change regardless of the platform that is finally selected. From a financial aspect, General Alves estimated that the investment to be made by Lisbon would revolve between 3.0 billion and 4.8 billion euros, a figure lower than the 5.0 billion originally planned but which is also awaiting a definition, despite the fact that “the figures do not differ much between the different solutions.”
Regardless of this, it is necessary to remember that the fleet of F-16 fighters in the hands of the Portuguese Air Force has been operational since 1994, which implies a service life that already exceeds three decades. Even though these units were subjected to MLU (Mid-Life Update) programs, the institution’s authorities consider that it was necessary years ago to move forward in a process that would provide them with a replacement aircraft of greater capabilities, taking as an example for this the cases of Denmark or Norway; countries that did the same between 2008 and 2009.
Quoting General Alves again: “The Air Force had never had an aircraft in active service for so many consecutive years: 31 years in the case of the most recent and almost 40 years in the case of the oldest of the second generation of F-16s. This process had its drawbacks because it started late, but it is positive that it has started (…) The replacement of the F-16 must occur under all these circumstances. Otherwise, it will not fulfill its intended purpose. It is clear that the F-16 will be replaced; this process will be carried out and is being discussed with the relevant authorities. We are currently finalizing all the details.“
Finally, it is necessary to highlight that while Portugal aims for the acquisition of a new fleet of aircraft, the modernization process must be conceived through a broader lens. Some of the issues included in this list, which is by no means exhaustive, are the need to add new radars and air defense systems to strengthen the capabilities to respond to potential threats; including also those deployed in overseas territories. For this, the country will benefit from an economic boost of approximately 180 million euros that would come from the SAFE program, a new European Union financing mechanism that seeks to reinforce the coffers of the bloc’s members to carry out defense acquisitions.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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