The U.S. ambassador to Portugal has urged Lisbon to replace its ageing F-16 fighter jets with Lockheed Martin’s F-35, saying the stealth aircraft would ensure compatibility with Europe’s top-tier air forces.
Ambassador John Arrigo told CNN Portugal late on Sunday that he intended to draw on his business experience to help Portugal increase defence spending to NATO’s target of 5% of gross domestic product by 2035, up from the current 2%.
"F-35 is the best fighter - it's a fifth-generation stealth fighter, it'll get them (the Portuguese Air Force) into the Champions League when it comes to the EU," Arrigo said.
Portuguese Defence Minister Nuno Melo said in November that the selection process for the replacement fighters had not yet started.
Arrigo said more than 900 F-35s were either in service or on order across Europe and that, for “interoperability, the F-35 is definitely the way to go.” He also noted that 25% of the aircraft is manufactured using European components.
On relations with China, the ambassador said the Trump administration was not pushing Portugal to choose between Washington and Beijing or to decouple from China. Instead, the U.S. was promoting “de-risking”, he said, through measures such as strengthening cybersecurity and tightening investment screening.
Chinese companies expanded in Portugal following the 2011–14 bailout, when lower asset prices attracted foreign investors.
Portugal secured a €78 billion bailout in May 2011 from the EU, IMF and ECB after soaring borrowing costs during the eurozone debt crisis cut it off from the markets. In return, it agreed to harsh austerity measures that triggered a deep recession.
Arrigo said the U.S. sees itself as Portugal's "best partner but wants to keep any adversary... at arm's length."
Portugal joined China's Belt and Road Initiative in December 2018. Arrigo said Lisbon's partnership with the U.S. would "flourish" if it were to exit the initiative, as Italy did in 2023.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions...
Kazakhstan and Germany have agreed to expand cooperation in critical minerals, industry, energy and transport, with Astana seeking a greater German...
Global cholera deaths reached their highest annual level in more than 20 years in 2025, despite a decline in reported cases, according to the World...
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’s mayor. The strike follows a day of near-continuous Russian attacks across Ukraine that killed at least five people.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 September 2026. These are the top stories making headlines in technology.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
The European Union's decision to simultaneously advance accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania marks its most ambitious enlargement effort in more than two decades.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared that Brexit has done more harm than good, while reaffirming support for Ukraine and NATO as he used his first Labour conference speech as leader to set out a new direction for Britain.
The arrival in South Korea of two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia has created a rare legal, diplomatic and humanitarian case, raising questions over their status, security and future.
At midnight on 30 September, the last U.S. troops are due to leave Iraq, ending a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion and cost the lives of around 4,500 American service members.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 29 September 2026, with the latest from Azerbaijan, from $10.8 billion in investment deals and Formula 1 drama to diplomacy and preparations for major FIFA tournaments.
Crude oil exports from major Middle Eastern producers rebounded in September to their highest level since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in late February, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment