MADRID, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish government has shelved plans to acquire U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin, opting instead to pursue European alternatives, according to a report published by El Pais on Wednesday.
Citing unnamed government sources, El Pais reports that the decision to procure the fifth-generation stealth aircraft has been suspended "indefinitely." Spain will now focus on strengthening its defense capabilities through either the Eurofighter or the next-generation Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a collaborative European defense project.
The F-35 was considered as a replacement for the Spanish Navy's Harrier AV-8B fleet, and as a temporary solution to bridge the gap between the Air Force's retiring F-18s and the expected arrival of FCAS aircraft.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced earlier this year that his government would raise defense spending to 2 percent of GDP. ■
