Dassault offers Rafale to Portugal as F-16 replacement

Dassault Aviation has disclosed that it made an unsolicited offer to Portugal earlier this year, proposing the Rafale as a replacement for the Portuguese air force's Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters.

The French manufacturer said it submitted the bid formally to the Portuguese government and air force in July 2026. It gave no further details, including how many aircraft the proposal covers or when deliveries would take place.

On 23 September, Dassault announced a memorandum of understanding with AED Cluster Portugal, an industry association. Under the agreement, Dassault, Safran and Thales will examine possible areas of cooperation between the Rafale programme's partners and Portuguese industry. Dassault said the arrangement builds on existing relationships in the country and is intended to support the Portuguese economy and the country's sovereignty.

Replacing Portugal's current fighters is expected to draw a full competition, and other manufacturers are already positioning themselves. Lockheed Martin signed a memorandum with AED in June 2025 covering its promotion of the F-35A, with the two sides saying they would jointly identify projects of mutual interest. Airbus Defence & Space is leading an effort to offer the Eurofighter Typhoon to Portugal and signed an agreement with the local trade body in October 2025. Saab has identified the country as a sales target for its Gripen E/F.

Fleet data from the aviation analytics company Cirium shows the Portuguese air force operates 20 F-16As and three B-model trainers, with ages ranging from 31 to 42 years.