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Spectator
a day ago
- Business
- Spectator
Why is Spain trying to pick a fight with Trump on defence?
When I joined the House of Commons Clerk's Department 20 years ago, there was a helpful list of formerly common phrases which were no longer to be used. Among them was 'Spanish practices', that arch description often applied to irregular or restrictive workplace arrangements, which I suspect had hardly been spotted in the wild for a decade or more. It was an impermissible slur, of course, dating from the days of the first Elizabeth, but it came back to my mind yesterday. The Financial Times picked up an announcement in the Madrid daily El País that the Spanish Ministry of Defence would no longer be considering the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II for its future combat aircraft requirements. Instead, it will rely on additional purchases of the Eurofighter Typhoon, of which the Spanish Air Force currently operates 70; it ordered 20 more aircraft in 2022 and a further 25 last December. Looking further ahead, it is committed to the Future Combat Aircraft System (FCAS), in which it is a partner with France and Germany. This is about more than the details of defence procurement. It is being presented and understood as an explicit, even pointed, decision to choose European platforms over those manufactured in America. In that context, it has to be seen alongside a war of words between Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchéz and President Donald Trump. At the Nato summit in June, while Sanchéz, like all his fellow leaders, agreed to a communiqué including the commitment to increase spending on defence to 5 per cent of GDP, he has also stated clearly that Spain's expenditure will not go above 2.1 per cent, which is 'sufficient, realistic and compatible' with other spending requirements to maintain the country's social model. This has, predictably, infuriated Trump, who sees it as an open refusal by Spain to pull its weight to sustain collective security. 'There's a problem with Spain,' Trump told the media. 'Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest of them [Nato], frankly.' The President had previously said, 'Spain has to pay what everybody else has to pay,' warning, 'Nato is going to have to deal with Spain.' Trump has a point. For Spain to insist unilaterally on an exemption from bearing the costs of Nato's defence simply because it does not want to pay more is outrageous. It is a serial offender in this regard: Spain never came close to meeting the 2 per cent target originally conceived in 2004, and the last time it spent that proportion of GDP on defence was in 1994. A cynic could be forgiven for thinking that this latest turning-away from the United States has a touch of performance about it. After all, Spain had made no commitment whatsoever to buy the F-35; it had first made a non-binding request for information in 2017 but had consistently played down the likelihood of the procurement. So, despite many lazy headlines, Spain has not 'cancelled' anything. But that kind of belligerent reportage will suit Sanchéz. There were always reasons for doubting that Spain would choose the F-35. It is true that the navy's dozen EAV-8B Harrier II strike aircraft are scheduled to be retired around 2030, while diminishing numbers of the air force's EF-18 Hornets will stay in service until 2035. However, if all goes well, the FCAS, a sixth-generation fighter which will be fully integrated with accompanying drones, could be operational by 2040; bridging that relatively narrow gap (in defence procurement terms) with additional 'fourth-and-a-half-generation' Typhoons is not an indefensible alternative to choosing a wholly new type in the form of the fifth-generation F-35 (each of which can cost around $100 million – or £87 million). Why would Sanchéz engineer an argument like this? He knows that being Trump's antagonist will play well with his own socialist PSOE and his coalition partner, the left-wing Sumar alliance. He has also been mired in a scandal involving allegations of corruption and influence-peddling against his wife, Begoña Gómez, which became so serious last April that he considered resignation. Given that Sanchéz claimed there was a conspiracy by right-wing media outlets to hound his wife and exert political pressure on him, a contretemps with the notoriously intemperate and thin-skinned Trump might seem an attractive distraction. All is fair in love, war and politics, and Trump acolytes certainly have no moral high ground from which to criticise Sanchéz for a confected conflict. For the rest of Spain's alliance partners, we should remember what the President said at the time of June's summit: 'Nato is going to have to deal with Spain.' If a spending target is agreed with the urgency that was attached to this one, it is unsustainable to have one member state which simply refuses point-blank to cooperate. Collective security has to be provided collectively, or the fundamental premise of the alliance disappears.
See - Sada Elbalad
01-08-2025
- General
- See - Sada Elbalad
US F-35 Fighter Jet Crashes in California
Taarek Refaat A U.S. Navy F-35 stealth fighter jet crashed and burst into flames near Naval Air Station Lemoore in central California, marking the second such incident involving the advanced warplane in less than a year. Dramatic video circulating online showed thick black smoke rising from flat agricultural land south of Fresno, approximately 64 kilometers from the base. Authorities confirmed that the pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft and was transported to a hospital for evaluation of potential injuries. The crash occurred around 6:30 p.m. local time, according to local law enforcement. Emergency crews from both the Navy and civilian agencies, including the Fresno County Sheriff's Office and California Fire Department, responded swiftly to the scene. Federal investigators are expected to lead the probe into the cause of the accident. The downed aircraft, valued at roughly $100 million, belonged to Strike Fighter Squadron VF-125, known as the 'Rough Raiders.' The squadron primarily functions as a fleet replacement unit, training pilots and aircrew on F-35 operations. The F-35 Lightning II, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is widely regarded as one of the most advanced fifth-generation fighter jets in the world, praised for its stealth capabilities and combat performance. More than 17 countries participate in the F-35 program, which has become a cornerstone of U.S. air power. However, the aircraft has faced growing scrutiny in recent years over maintenance challenges and operational readiness, with this latest crash likely to intensify safety and reliability concerns. read more 2 Most Inspirational Green Projects in Egypt AEW Dynamite, WWE NXT to Strive over Viewership Tonight Egypt Marks 70th Anniv. of 2011 Revolution, National Police Day In Depth: WWE NXT Halloween Havoc In Depth: AEW Dynamite, WWE NXT Tuesday Viewership Strive Videos & Features WATCH: Egyptians Break Ramadan Fasts in Matariya Videos & Features GrEEk Campus Hosts Jobzella Fifth Career Fair Videos & Features 3 Iconic Ramadan Songs of All Times Videos & Features Top 4 Destinations to Visit in Upper Egypt News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Arts & Culture Lebanese Media: Fayrouz Collapses after Death of Ziad Rahbani Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results
Daily Tribune
31-07-2025
- General
- Daily Tribune
US Navy F-35 Fighter Jet Crashes in California; Pilot Ejects Safely
A US Navy F-35 fighter jet crashed Wednesday evening near Naval Air Station Lemoore in central California, but the pilot managed to eject safely, according to the Navy. The incident happened around 6:30 p.m. in flat, open farmland roughly 40 miles southwest of Fresno. Video from local media showed flames and thick black smoke rising from the crash site. Emergency crews quickly arrived to assist the pilot, while Cal Fire units also responded, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said. The aircraft was an F-35C, a carrier-based version of the advanced stealth fighter, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron VF-125, known as the 'Rough Raiders.' This squadron trains new Navy pilots and aircrew to operate the F-35. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The Navy confirmed no other injuries were reported. Worth an estimated $100 million, the F-35C is one of three models of the F-35 Lightning II, used by the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. This marks the second F-35 crash in 2025; in January, an Air Force F-35A went down in Alaska during a training mission, with that pilot also ejecting safely.
Fox News
31-07-2025
- General
- Fox News
Navy confirms F-35 fighter jet went down near California base, pilot safely ejected
A Navy pilot is safe after an F-35C fighter jet went down near Naval Air Station Lemoore in Southern California, causing a fiery crash and prompting a response from CAL Fire. NAS Lemoore said "an aviation incident on the operations side of the installation" took place at around 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The jet crashed in a field near the intersection of South Dickenson Avenue and West Cadillac Ave and burst into flames, a California Highway Patrol report stated. "We can confirm the pilot successfully ejected and is safe. There are no additional affected personnel," NAS Lemoore confirmed via Facebook. The crash caused a small grass fire spanning about ten acres, according to a CAL Fire incident report. It was completely contained by 8:32 p.m. local time. Details surrounding what caused the crash were not immediately available. NAS Lemoore is the Navy's largest Master Jet Base and is home to more than a dozen squadrons – training and operational. The base said on Facebook that the F-35C involved in the crash was attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125 "Rough Raiders," a specialized training unit. NAS Lemoore is the only Navy base that houses the F-35 Lightning II, according to its website. It is also home to more than half of the branch's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft. Sixteen operational Strike Fighter squadrons, two Fleet Replacement squadrons, one Search and Rescue squadron, four west coast Carrier Air Wing Commands and staff operate out of the base. The base is located in Fresno County. Fox News Digital reached out to NAS Lemoore but did not hear back by time of publication.
UPI
31-07-2025
- General
- UPI
Navy F-35 jet crashes in California
F-35C Lightning II like the one seen here in November 17, 2024, crashed Wednesday in California. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo July 31 (UPI) -- A U.S. Navy F-35 fighter jet crashed following an "aviation incident" in California, authorities and officials said. The incident occurred at about 6:30 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, Naval Air Station Lemoore said in a statement. Specifics about the crash were not made public, but the Navy said the F-35C "went down" not far from Naval Air Station Lemoore, located about 38 miles southwest of Fresno. "We can confirm the pilot successfully ejected and is safe," it said. The aircraft was attached to the Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-125, known as the Rough Riders. It is the second crash involving an F-35 fighter jet so far this year in the United States. In late January, an F-35 Lightning II aircraft crashed at Alaska's Eielson Air Force Base. The Air Force said the pilot was safe following the incident. The F-35C is the fifth-generation of a long-rang stealth fighter jet used by the United States Navy, Marine Crops and Air Force. According to the Navy, it is used to perform air-to-air combat, air-to-ground strikes, reconnaissance and electronic warfare. The Lockheed Martin-manufactured plane costs between $62.2 million and $77.2 million, according to a December Congressional Research Service report.
