The F-35 not only costs a fortune, it has a button that Spain does not like. So he told the US that he doesn’t want them

When in 2019 the United States announced that, after two decades of work, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 was Finally ready For combat, he also slid an advertisement to navigators: the purchase of these units It was going to be record. Since then until now they have passed many things. Updates, conflicts, wars and a Rearme in Europe which promised to inflate Washington’s wallet at the rhythm of fighters. In fact, Spain had requested up to 50 F-35.

That investment has vanished.

Political decision, military impact. The Spanish government has decided paralyze indefinitely The acquisition of American hunting F-35 Lightning IIa decision that marks a drastic turn in the modernization of the armed forces and in the relationship with the United States within the NATO framework.

Although in previous years he had advanced in conversations with Lockheed Martin and They had budgeted more than 6,000 million euros for an eventual request of 50 unitsthe Ministry of Defense has chosen to withdraw that operation from the agenda, in favor of an approach focused on European investment in defense.

A not for Europe. The plan approved in April, endowed with More than 10,000 million In euros, it contemplates that 85% of that budget is allocated to companies and technologies of the continent, which leaves outside the Fifth American generation hunting, despite being the most advanced in service today.

What is it for Spain. The most immediate and critical consequence of this resignation is suffered by the Navy. In 2030 It is planned the end of the useful life of their Harrier AV-8ba model that is already being removed by the United States and Italy and that will soon leave the Spanish Navy as the only world operator. Without spare parts or guaranteed maintenance capacity, prolonging its use has been ruled out.

The only plane with vertical takeoff capacity that could replace the Harrier is precisely the F-35B, Naval Version of Lightning II. His absence will mean the total loss of the aviation capacity of fixed wing embarked, at least for several years, and will reduce the flagship Juan Carlos I to a simple helicopter platform.

Options. To mitigate that void, the Navy has in charge of Navantia A viability study to build avisions capable of operating conventional aircraft with stop hook, which would open the door to naval fighters such as the Rafale M French. However, these would not be available before removal of the Harrier, so the operational loss will be inevitable.

Options without horizon. Although in lesser emergency, the Air Force I also contemplated to F-35a as a replacement for its F-18 more modern, in service until approximately 2035. The intention was cover the transition period until the arrival of FCAS (Future combat air system), the ambitious European program of sixth generation that, at best, will not enter into operation before 2040.

In that context, the F-35A was emerging as a logical intermediate solution, not only for its technological superiority, but also by His poaching demonstrated in recent actions such as the joint attack of the United States and Israel against nuclear infrastructure In Iran. Despite this, the Chief of the General Staff of the Defense, Teodoro López Calderón, publicly assumed The resignation of a fifth generation plane and has recognized that Spain must “survive with the fourth generation”, trusting The EurofightteRy waiting for FCAS (that is, a fifteen -year -old wait).

Operational risks. He counted yesterday The country that the head of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Francisco Braco, He has warned That limit to Eurofighter as the only hunting in service entails technical and strategic risks, especially to possible structural failures that force the entire fleet to immobilize, as has already happened in other countries.

Although he has mentioned the future option of Rafale F-5, currently in development in France, the reality is that it does not exist in the short term A European alternative Fully operational that competes with the F-35A in furtive abilities and digital integration.

Transatlantic voltage. Beyond the operational considerations, the Spanish government decision has a obvious political dimensionaggravated by the recent shock Between Pedro Sánchez and Donald Trump at the NATO Summit held in The Hague. There, the Spanish president He unmarked of the agreed target of allocating 5% of GDP to defense in a decade, staying at 2%.

Trump’s response It was direct: Threats of commercial reprisals and a scathing criticism of the attitude of Spain, which he accused of wanting to benefit from American protection without assuming costs. To this conflict is added the Senators Republicans who demand that European allies a firmer commitment to military spending and the purchase of American weapons.

Pocazo to the US. The commercial background is not less: Trump seeks not only to spend more on defense, but those funds go to stop To US companies. He has already reached an agreement with the European Commission that allows him to impose a 15% tariff On a large part of European products, in exchange for the countries of the continent, they acquire US gas and armament for hundreds of billions.

In that context, the unpublished Negative of Spain To buy the F-35 is seen in Washington as a direct affront to its strategic and economic interests.

The technological dependence. One of the central arguments made by the Government to justify its position is the Defense of autonomy European strategic. Sanchez argues that suddenly increasing defense spending without its own industrial fabric robust enough would only serve to increase the dependence of the United States and renounce the development of continental military capacities.

However, the paradox It is evident: A dozen European countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Denmark, have already incorporated the F-35 to their fleets or have made orders. Everything indicates that it will be the common European hunting during the next decade, and its integration will create synergies in training, maintenance, interoperability and deployment.

And the “button.” It We count some time ago. Although Lockheed Martin has offered to assemble the Spanish F-35 at its Cameri, Italy plant, to soften the political impact, a major obstacle persists: the United States imposes very severe restrictions on the Access to technologies Criticism of the plane, which works in many aspects such as a black box even for its own users, a kind of “button” to control it remote through the updates that Spain does not like.

In addition, Washington reserves the right to veto its use In certain conflicts, and maintenance costs are very high. Countries like Switzerland have recently denounced unjustified cost overruns and abusive contractual conditions. In sum, the Strategic independence That Spain seeks to preserve is threatened not only for the purchase of foreign weapons, but for the technological opacity imposed by its main military ally.

Between coherence and emptiness. Thus, the resignation to F-35 It places Spain at a complex crossroads. The commitment to an autonomous and consistent European defense with internal investment is politically understandable, but it entails concrete and immediate operational risks, especially for the Navy, which will lose essential capabilities For years.

In addition, it can further deteriorate the Relations with the United States in a moment of growing geopolitical tensionjust when Atlantic cohesion is more critical. The rejection of the most advanced (and expensive) plane in the world not only implies saying no to a military product, but also to a Integration model Technological (with asterisks), allied interoperability and shared dependence. Yes Defense Europe It does not advance quickly, the Spanish bet could end up being a strategic sacrifice without return.

Image | Robert Sullivan, RawpixelTim Felce

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