LISBON, Portugal--While the Portuguese defense minister recently downplayed the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35 fighter as a candidate to replace the country's 28 F-16s, the F-35 may still be in the running. The Portuguese Air Force's Vision 5.3 last year "links with technology and fifth generation fighters, and dot 3 comes from people, processes, and technology," Portuguese Air Force Maj. Gen. Joao Nogueira, director of weapons system maintenance, told reporters here. Portugal has been a member of the European partnership on…
