Dassault pitches Rafale to Portugal to replace F-16 fighters, pairing formal bid with industrial cooperation agreement signed in Lisbon

Dassault Aviation, Thales and Safran have signed a memorandum with AED Cluster Portugal to explore industrial cooperation around a Rafale offer for replacing the Portuguese Air Force’s F-16 fleet. The agreement, signed at the French Embassy in Lisbon, follows a formal bid submitted in July and emphasizes potential work for Portuguese companies in production, support, research and skills development. Portugal has not selected an aircraft or disclosed a fleet size, budget or delivery schedule, so the memorandum strengthens the French campaign without constituting a procurement decision.