Overview
- Defense officials say the technological disconnection is complete, with formal cancellations of the €287.5 million Spike LR2 purchase (1,680 missiles and 168 firing posts) and the roughly €700 million SILAM rocket launcher program.
- Military sources warn the F-5 trainer fleet relies on Israel Aerospace Industries for avionics support, threatening near-term fighter pilot instruction, while the first Turkish Hürjet trainers are not due until 2028 with deliveries stretching to 2031.
- Contingency planning includes sending trainee fighter pilots to partner nations, with Italy, France or Germany under consideration if F-5 support lapses.
- The preferred bidder for the Joint Tactical Radio System has shifted from a Telefónica–Aicox offer tied to Elbit to Indra with Finland’s Bittium, reflecting the move to non-Israeli technology.
- The government is preparing a decree to codify the embargo after identifying 45 affected programs, seeking legal safeguards as industry explores fixes such as an Indra purchase of Pap Tecnos and alternatives like EuroSpike components or the U.S. Javelin, while a domestic redesign of SILAM would add multi-year delays.