Dassault Aviation has signed a memorandum of understanding with AED Cluster Portugal to explore industrial cooperation around the Rafale as Portugal weighs options for replacing its F-16 fleet. The agreement, signed at the French Embassy in Lisbon on 23 September, involves Rafale partners Thales and Safran and is aimed at deepening ties with Portuguese aerospace and defence firms rather than securing an aircraft order.
The move comes after Dassault submitted its Rafale bid to the Portuguese government and air force in July. Portugal has not yet launched a formal tender, but competition is gathering pace across the programme, with Airbus preparing an unsolicited Eurofighter Typhoon proposal for late October or early November.
AED Cluster Portugal is the national industry association linking domestic companies with foreign manufacturers, making it a key channel for potential workshare, maintenance and supply-chain opportunities. Similar industrial cooperation arrangements have already been used by other contenders in the contest, including Airbus, Lockheed Martin and Saab, as the campaign to win Portugal’s next fighter deal continues to build.