{"id":24666259,"date":"2026-09-25T14:55:06","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T12:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/dassault-rafale-portugal-aed-cluster-mou-f-16-replacement-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T14:55:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T12:55:44","slug":"dassault-rafale-portugal-aed-cluster-mou-f-16-replacement-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/dassault-rafale-portugal-aed-cluster-mou-f-16-replacement-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Rafale for Portugal: Dassault Signs a Deal With Portuguese Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n\r\n<p>There is a scale model of a <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/rafale\/\">Rafale<\/a> on the table between the two men signing. It is a small detail and it is the entire point: the document being signed is not a contract for aircraft. It is a promise about Portuguese factories.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>On 23 September 2026, at the French Embassy in Lisbon, Dassault Aviation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AED Cluster Portugal, the country&rsquo;s association for the aeronautics, space and defence industries. Dassault signed on behalf of its Rafale partners, Thales and Safran. The French Ambassador to Portugal, Jean-Pierre Asvazadourian, was in the room.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Airbus is running a comparable campaign for the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/eurofighter-typhoon\/\">Eurofighter Typhoon<\/a>, and has signed its own memorandum of understanding with Portuguese manufacturers. Portugal has not yet issued a tender, and already four manufacturers are competing for it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f8;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:26px 0\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117;font-size:17px\">Quick Facts<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>Signed:<\/strong> 23 September 2026, French Embassy, Lisbon<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>Parties:<\/strong> Dassault Aviation, on behalf of Rafale partners Thales and Safran, and AED Cluster Portugal<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>What it is:<\/strong> A Memorandum of Understanding to explore industrial cooperation, not an aircraft contract<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>Context:<\/strong> Dassault submitted its formal Rafale bid to the Portuguese government and air force in July 2026<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>The requirement:<\/strong> Replacing 24 Portuguese F-16A\/B Block 15 aircraft upgraded under a Mid-Life Update<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>Competitors:<\/strong> Dassault Rafale, Airbus Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-35A, Saab Gripen E<\/p><p style=\"margin:5px 0\"><strong>Tender status:<\/strong> No formal competition has been launched<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What the MoU Actually Promises<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Very little, in binding terms. A memorandum of understanding commits nobody to buy anything. What it does is put a marker down with a specific constituency: the Portuguese companies that would build parts, maintain aircraft and employ people if the Rafale won.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;A Memorandum of Understanding to explore potential areas of cooperation between RAFALE partners and the Portuguese industrial sector, in the context of the Portuguese Air Force&rsquo;s F-16 fleet renewal&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Dassault Aviation<\/strong> &mdash; Press release, 23 September 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The release goes on to say that the agreement builds on relationships the Rafale partners already have in Portugal, and is intended to boost the Portuguese economy and strengthen the country&rsquo;s sovereignty. That last word is doing a great deal of work, and it is aimed squarely at the reason this competition exists at all.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/portuguese-air-force-f-16-esquadra-301-jaguares.jpg\" alt=\"Portuguese Air Force F-16A of Esquadra 301 Jaguares\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">What is being replaced: a Portuguese Air Force F-16A of Esquadra 301 &ldquo;Jaguares&rdquo;. Portugal operates 24 Block 15 airframes put through a Mid-Life Update. Photo: Contando Estrelas \/ CC BY-SA 2.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why Portugal Is Even Shopping<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>For years the answer to what replaces Portugal&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-16-fighting-falcon\/\">F-16s<\/a> was assumed to be the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-35-lightning-ii\/\">F-35<\/a>, because Portugal flies F-16s, sits inside NATO, and had no obvious reason to do anything else.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>That assumption broke in March 2025, when Portuguese ministers publicly questioned buying American, citing uncertainty about the political posture of the United States. The position has since softened. But the door, once opened, did not close, and every European manufacturer walked through it.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/portugal-f-16-replacement-four-bidders.png\" alt=\"Graphic listing the four bidders for Portugal F-16 replacement\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">Four aircraft, four sales campaigns, and no tender to bid into yet. Graphic: MiGFlug<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The Shape of a European Sales Campaign<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Nobody sells a fighter on the fighter any more. The aircraft is assumed to work; what is being negotiated is everything around it. Offsets. Local assembly. Maintenance contracts that run for thirty years. Whether your engineers get access to the software or wait for somebody else&rsquo;s release cycle.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Dassault&rsquo;s move is the classic French version of that campaign: sign with the industry association first, hold it at the embassy, put the ambassador in the photograph, and let the message land with the people who will lobby their own government. Airbus is running the same play with a different accent.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bX39fHGsq5c\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What Happens Next<\/h2>\r\n\r\n<p>Nothing, formally, until Lisbon decides to run a competition. When it does, the four contenders will already have spent two years building relationships that the tender document itself cannot capture.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>Whether any of that decides the outcome is another matter. Portugal is a small air force with 24 aircraft to replace, a constrained budget, and an alliance to stay interoperable with. A model on a table in an embassy is a long way from a signature on a contract.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><em>Sources: Dassault Aviation press release and press kit, 23 September 2026; GlobeNewswire; Aviation Week; Air Data News; The Aviationist.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What did Dassault sign with AED Cluster Portugal?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">A Memorandum of Understanding, signed on 23 September 2026 at the French Embassy in Lisbon, to explore industrial cooperation between the Rafale partners and Portuguese industry in the context of the Portuguese Air Force F-16 fleet renewal. It is not an aircraft contract.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Is Portugal buying the Rafale?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No decision has been made. Dassault submitted a formal bid for the Rafale to the Portuguese government and air force in July 2026, but Portugal has not issued a tender and has not selected an aircraft.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Which aircraft are competing to replace Portugal F-16s?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Four: the Dassault Rafale, the Airbus Eurofighter Typhoon, the Lockheed Martin F-35A and the Saab Gripen E. All four are campaigning before any formal competition has been launched.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How many F-16s does Portugal operate?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Twenty-four F-16A\/B Block 15 aircraft, upgraded under a Mid-Life Update programme. Replacing them is the requirement all four manufacturers are pursuing.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why did Portugal move away from the F-35?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">In March 2025 Portuguese ministers publicly questioned buying American, citing uncertainty about United States foreign policy. The position later softened, but the opening prompted European manufacturers to campaign much harder.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is AED Cluster Portugal?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">It is Portugal national association for the aeronautics, space and defence industries. An agreement with it is a way of reaching the Portuguese companies that would gain work from an aircraft purchase, and through them the wider domestic debate.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who are the Rafale partners?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Dassault Aviation builds the aircraft, Thales supplies much of the avionics and sensors, and Safran provides the M88 engines. Dassault signed the Portuguese memorandum on behalf of all three.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Can civilians fly in a fighter jet?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Not in a Rafale, but MiGFlug flies civilians in genuine fighter jets including the MiG-29 to the edge of space and the L-39 Albatros. Current aircraft and prices are on the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/flights-prices\/\">MiGFlug flights and prices page<\/a>.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What did Dassault sign with AED Cluster Portugal?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A Memorandum of Understanding, signed on 23 September 2026 at the French Embassy in Lisbon, to explore industrial cooperation between the Rafale partners and Portuguese industry in the context of the Portuguese Air Force F-16 fleet renewal. It is not an aircraft contract.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Is Portugal buying the Rafale?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"No decision has been made. Dassault submitted a formal bid for the Rafale to the Portuguese government and air force in July 2026, but Portugal has not issued a tender and has not selected an aircraft.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Which aircraft are competing to replace Portugal F-16s?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Four: the Dassault Rafale, the Airbus Eurofighter Typhoon, the Lockheed Martin F-35A and the Saab Gripen E. All four are campaigning before any formal competition has been launched.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How many F-16s does Portugal operate?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Twenty-four F-16A\/B Block 15 aircraft, upgraded under a Mid-Life Update programme. Replacing them is the requirement all four manufacturers are pursuing.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why did Portugal move away from the F-35?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"In March 2025 Portuguese ministers publicly questioned buying American, citing uncertainty about United States foreign policy. The position later softened, but the opening prompted European manufacturers to campaign much harder.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is AED Cluster Portugal?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"It is Portugal national association for the aeronautics, space and defence industries. An agreement with it is a way of reaching the Portuguese companies that would gain work from an aircraft purchase, and through them the wider domestic debate.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Who are the Rafale partners?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Dassault Aviation builds the aircraft, Thales supplies much of the avionics and sensors, and Safran provides the M88 engines. Dassault signed the Portuguese memorandum on behalf of all three.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Can civilians fly in a fighter jet?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Not in a Rafale, but MiGFlug flies civilians in genuine fighter jets including the MiG-29 to the edge of space and the L-39 Albatros. Current aircraft and prices are on the MiGFlug flights and prices page.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/eurofighter-portugal-airbus-unsolicited-bid-f-16-replacement-2026\/\">Eurofighter for Portugal: Airbus Bids Before the Tender Exists<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/portugal-bets-on-a-tiny-italian-trainer\/\">Portugal Bets on a Tiny Italian Trainer<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is a scale model of a Rafale on the table between the two men signing. It is a small detail and it is the entire point: the document being signed is not a contract for aircraft. It is a promise about Portuguese factories. On 23 September 2026, at the French Embassy in Lisbon, Dassault [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":24665608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24666259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Rafale for Portugal: Dassault Signs Industry Deal | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dassault has signed an industrial MoU with AED Cluster Portugal as it bids the Rafale for Portugal F-16 replacement. 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