A spokeswoman for the Spanish Ministry of Defense confirmed that the country has no interest in the F-35, stating that Madrid's commitment is to the 6th Generation FCAS project. Last week, several media channels claimed that the Eurofighter Typhoon and the F-35 Lightning II were options for replacements for the country's EF-18 Hornet.
During FEINDEF 2021, Colonel Jesus Ferrer of Spain's Office of Military Acquisitions stated that the Ejercito del Aire was studying the Typhoon and the F-35 to replace about 50 EF-18M Hornet fighters.
Ferrer also said that a factor that could weigh in favor of the American fighter is if the Spanish Navy chooses to acquire the F-35B vertical take-off and landing. In that case, the stealth jet would replace the 13 TAV/EAV-8B+ Matador II operating from the amphibious assault ship Juan Carlos I. Leaked data from a Lockheed Martin sales campaign in Europe also reinforced the rumours.
However, information obtained by Reuters contradict the rumours. “The Spanish government does not have the budget to go into any other jet project than what is already underway. We excluded entry into the F-35 project. Our investment commitment is in the FCAS”, a Defense spokeswoman told the agency on Tuesday.
The FCAS (Future Combat Air System) is a European project led by tly with and Spain, aiming at the development of a 6th Generation fighter and wing drones for the second half of the 2030s. presence in the program that suffered delays due to standoffs between Dassault and Airbus.
