Madrid: Spain has officially put on hold plans to acquire the US-made F-35 Lightning II fighter jets for its armed forces, according to government sources.

According to Anadolu Agency, preliminary talks with US defense company Lockheed Martin have been suspended indefinitely, despite earlier signs of interest and budgetary allocations. In April, the Spanish government approved a £10.471 billion ($12.126 billion) defense spending plan and reaffirmed its commitment to allocate 2% of its GDP to defense and security.

However, Madrid's decision to channel 85% of these funds toward European-made military systems has reportedly rendered the procurement of the US-made aircraft "incompatible" with national defense priorities.