Spain still interested in F-35: Lockheed exec

DUBAI: Despite statements from the Spanish defense ministry denying its interest in the F-35, Lockheed Martin remains in contact with government officials about a potential order of the joint strike fighter, according to the company’s head of aeronautics.

“They have a carrier with Harriers, and there is a requirement to replace those Harriers,” Greg Ulmer told Breaking Defense during a Nov. 15 interview. “The only option really would be an F-35 [short takeoff and landing variant]. So I’m pretty confident that Spain will have an interest in the F-35 associated with that.”

Over the past several weeks, Madrid and Lockheed have engaged in an often confusing back-and-forth over Spain’s future fighter force.

On Nov. 3, Janes published a story quoting an unnamed “official” who stated that Lockheed was engaged in F-35 sales campaigns with Greece, the Czech Republic and Spain — with potentially as many as 50 F-35s on the table to replace Madrid’s inventory of Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fighters and McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier jump jets.

RELATED: F-35 faces stiff competition as European nations decide on future fighters

A day later, Col. Jesus Ferrer, chief of coordination for fixed-wing systems for Spain’s military procurement office, told Defense News that the country was considering the F-35 and the Eurofighter Typhoon as  potential Hornet replacements.

Then, on Nov. 9, a Spanish defense ministry spokeswoman swatted down those reports, stating Spain has no intention of buying the F-35 as it must put funding toward the sixth-generation Future Combat Air System it plans to build with France and Germany.

“The Spanish government has no budget to enter into any other jet project in addition to the one that is already in place. We rule out entering the F-35 project. Our investment commitment is in the FCAS,” the spokeswoman told Reuters.

But Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst with the Teal Group, said Spain will have little choice but to buy the F-35B short takeoff and landing version if it wants to continue operating fixed-wing jets aboard its aircraft carriers after its Harriers begin to be retired later this decade.

“This is one of those decisions that doesn’t involve a fighter choice at all,” he said. “It involves a national strategic capability choice. And it’s remarkably simple once they’ve made that choice. ‘Yes, we want a fixed wing aircraft carrier.’ Ok, you’ve just made the choice to buy F-35Bs.”

In his conversation with Breaking Defense, Ulmer reiterated that talks with Greece, the Czech Republic and Spain are ongoing, but said discussions with Spain were in the preliminary stages and had not progressed into classified briefings.