Every Country That Has Reconsidered The F-35 In 2026 & Why Most Still Buy It

Published Aug 4, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT Luke Diaz is a freelance military writer with experience with active duty experience in the US Navy as well as defense and industrial engineering. He is a former Naval Flight Officer who performed tactical air control on the carrier-based E-2 Hawkeye. The year 2026 has seen an unexpected wave of second-guessing, order cuts, and outright cancellations from potential partners in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The fifth-generation Lightning II stealth fighter is meant to be a universal platform that provides a game-changer for the US and its allies. Unfortunately, it’s not quite going according to plan. The majority of the problems are due to diplomatic tension and dissatisfaction over intellectual property rights and maintenance sovereignty. Notably, almost all the nations that have slashed their total order or backed out of the program entirely are from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Canada, which is arguably America’s closest ally, is currently mulling its commitment despite having committed to an initial batch. The United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, and even Australia have all cut down on their fleet size over the constantly rising cost. At the same time, deficiencies with software and fears over America’s 'kill switch' have led to the complete withdrawal of Portugal and Spain. Spain's Change Of Course Credit: Department of Defense Spain officially shelved its plans to purchase the US-made F-35 indefinitely in August 2025. Operating a platform where the United States maintains ultimate oversight over code and parts distribution was viewed as an unacceptable risk to sovereign military deployment. The Defense Ministry chose to redirect its military modernization budget away from American hardware to achieve greater continental self-reliance. Spain committed to investing 85% of its newly added defense funds exclusively into European initiatives. While the decision was politically and industrially advantageous for Europe, it left the Spanish Navy facing a critical operational gap. While Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez committed to hitting NATO's standard 2% GDP defense spending target, he firmly rejected intense pressure from US President Donald Trump to commit to a long-term 5% spending goal. The Navy must decommission its aging McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II jump jets by 2030. The F-35B is the only short take-off and vertical landing fighter in production capable of operating from Spain's flagship amphibious assault ship Juan Carlos I. Abandoning the aircraft means the navy will lose its fixed-wing carrier strike capability entirely until a replacement platform is sourced. Spain’s Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, called the cancellation "very worrying for Europe," according to the Kyiv Post. The Spanish military has had to immediately push through stopgap funding to extend the life of Spain's aging F-18 fleet until 2040. Now that the Future Combat Air System has been partially dissolved due to the inability of Airbus and Dassault to agree on industrial work sharing, Spain is considering joining the Global Combat Air Program. Spain is currently waiting to see if Germany formalizes a leap to GCAP. Germany Reinvests In Europe Credit: Department of Defense Instead of over-purchasing American hardware, Germany is doubling down on its homegrown Eurofighter Typhoon production line, which sustains over 25,000 high-skilled defense jobs within Germany alone. Germany was legally and strategically forced to purchase the F-35 solely to maintain its role in NATO’s nuclear sharing agreement. While Germany recently finalized an extension to bring its total F-35A order to 50 aircraft, Berlin firmly rejected buying any more American jets past this limit. Germany ordered 38 advanced Tranche 4 Eurofighters to replace its obsolete Tranche 1 models. Deliveries are slated to begin in the second half of 2026. Germany also committed to an additional 20 Tranche 5 Eurofighters to act as a bridge until a sixth-generation aircraft can be developed. Airbus estimates that Germany will eventually require up to 150 next-generation fighter aircraft to replace its Eurofighter fleet later in the century. Following the formal collapse of the Franco-German Future Combat Air System fighter project in June 2026, Chancellor Friedrich Merz and German defense leaders have had to pivot toward a more reliable, sovereign investment strategy. With the FCAS fighter dead, Airbus Defence CEO Michael Schoellhorn stated that Germany is aggressively exploring joining the UK-Italy-Japan led GCAP, according to France 24. No Inroads In Portugal Credit: Department of Defense In March 2025, Portugal canceled its plans to acquire the F-35 in a fleet modernization deal that was expected to bring in 27 to 28 of the fifth-generation stealth fighters to replace its aging fleet of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons. Portuguese Defense Minister Nuno Melo and other European defense officials cited intense anxiety over the heavy technical dependence required by the F-35. There were serious concerns that the U.S. government could restrict or block critical software updates, components, and maintenance systems. According to Reuters, the Portuguese government stated that the geopolitical climate and shifting US stances toward NATO required them to look elsewhere. Referring to 'allied predictability' as a fundamental asset, Portugal has pivoted toward European makers to maximize long-term security. The United States has aggressively pushed Portugal to reconsider. In mid-2025, Lockheed Martin went so far as to sign a strategic memorandum of understanding with the domestic aerospace group AED Cluster Portugal to map out local manufacturing opportunities, attempting to build a supply chain footprint that might convince the Portuguese government to reverse its decision. Canada's Ongoing Jet Dilemma Credit: Department of Defense The Royal Canadian Air Force is now officially the first Observer Nation under the Umbrella of the GCAP program, but the fate of its pending F-35 deal has yet to be decided. There are many nuanced factors that play out, but the most basic principle of the issue is that the total cost of the 88 aircraft has inflated from $19 billion to nearly $28 billion. While it is true that many Canadian companies benefit directly from the sustainment of the JSFs, the government has yet to decide if it is going to go through with the full contract. The RCAF expects the first deliveries towards the end of this year from its initial batch of 16 F-35A airframes. Additionally, funding has been allocated for 14 more planes in order to secure the assembly line slots due to long lead items. That puts a total of 30 guaranteed but 58 to be decided. Canada has famously courted the JAS-39 Gripen E as a low-cost 4.5 gen alternative that would also bring manufacturing revenue thanks to domestic work sharing. The RCAF urgently needs to replace its aging Boeing CF-188 Hornets, which are approaching the end of service life. At the same time, spending requirements from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and North American Aerospace Defense Command make a 'high-low' fleet potentially unfeasible. Membership in GCAP is a major step in a different direction, but that aircraft is not expected to enter service until the 2040s, so while some JSFs will wear Canadian livery, just how many remains uncertain. From Tier One To Done In The United Kingdom Credit: Department of Defense In 2025, the United Kingdom decided to rejoin the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Airborne Nuclear Burden Sharing Mission. Announced initially at the June 2025 NATO Summit and codified in the 2026 Defence Investment Plan, the purchase of a dozen F-35As allows the UK to field 'Dual Capable Aircraft.' Rejoining the shared air mission allows the RAF to signal a direct, visible, and localized countermeasure to Russian posturing. At the same time, the UK is one of the founding members of the trilateral GCAP, which aims to introduce a next-gen air superiority stealth fighter by 2035. By limiting the F-35 fleet to 75 aircraft by 2033, the UK allocated £16.2 billion directly into Tempest development, assuring the retention of high-tech production, intellectual property, and over 20,000 defense jobs in the UK. Meanwhile, the GCAP, or 'Tempest,' initiative just got formal financing of $6.1 billion from the conglomerate Edgewing, which includes major aircraft manufacturers such as BAE Systems, Leonardo, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The UK is the only partner nation to have bought into Tier One status and the first to fulfill its total initial contract. While the 75th F-35 is expected to arrive in 2033, the Royal Navy may shift its focus away from manned STOVL fighters and toward a hybrid air wing that employs indigenous drone and unmanned technologies. That means the long-term goal of a 138-strong fleet may never come to fruition, even though the UK remains one of the largest F-35 operators in the world. Switzerland's Roller-Coaster FMS Deal Credit: Department of Defense The split between the US and Switzerland began in 2025 when the Pentagon decided to prioritize resupplying its own Patriot missile stocks after diverting ordnance to Ukraine. Under this strategic supply chain reorganization, the US informed Swiss leaders that their planned Patriot deliveries would be halted, and the cost would go up. Switzerland responded by suspending payments under its overseas military sales deal for the Patriot missile defense system. Legally, the United States transferred Swiss defense funds through Foreign Military Sales agreements, allowing it to reallocate more than $126 million from various defense project pools despite Switzerland's funding freeze. This decision resulted in the continuance of the program owing to contractual responsibilities, despite political tensions. The Swiss Federal Council indicated that future acquisitions to restore their fleet to the originally planned 36 aircraft would be assessed independently of aircraft type. Compounding the issue, the US revised its pricing under the contract, claiming that the original fixed price could not be honored and requesting an additional amount between $760 million and $1.5 billion. In response, Switzerland opted to reduce its order, scaling back from 36 JSFs to 30. Looking forward, Switzerland is exploring the possibility of establishing a mixed fleet, which would combine the 30 F-35s with additional European-made 4.5-generation aircraft. Furthermore, drones are being considered as a cost-effective solution to address capability shortfalls alongside their F-35s. The first Swiss F-35A has progressed into the main assembly phase, but full Block 4 modernization is not expected to be accomplished until at least 2031. Inside Australia's Short Order Credit: Department of Defense The current ruling government of the Australian Parliament has essentially put a moratorium on the original 100 JSF fleet goal and settled for the 72 that it already has. Instead of buying 28 more stealth fighters, the government redirected billions toward an advanced long-range missile inventory. The logic dictates that a smaller fleet of F-35s equipped with long-range, high-end anti-ship and strike missiles offers greater strategic utility in the Indo-Pacific than simply more planes. The government chose to delay the retirement of the RAAF's F/A-18F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft. By keeping these highly capable 4.5-Gen+ platforms flying longer alongside the 72 F-35As, they argue the RAAF maintains a highly effective combat mix which still makes the immediate purchase of a fourth F-35 squadron unnecessary. Instead, redirecting that funding into the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise makes every F-35 more effective by investing in better weapons instead of simply more planes. Another benefit is that by not binding Australia to a legacy F-35 scale-up right now, the RAAF keeps its fiscal options open for the late 2030s. The weapons being procured under the GWEO program include missiles that can also be carried by the legacy Super Hornets to effectively create a 'high-low' fleet mix like the US Air Force is pursuing. The broader strategic pivot shifted funding from conventional air superiority to a strategy of denial to deter a near-peer adversary away from Australia's Northern coastline. That includes improving the infrastructure of bases in the North to facilitate higher force readiness from the forward-deployed locations when F-35s are actually on mission. Some funding is also being diverted to the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine program. Ultimately, it does not look like any more F-35s will be procured for Australia.