Cascais, Portugal, April 29, 2026 (Lusa) – The president of the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) believes Portugal possesses strong defence industries and hopes for a swift resolution to the conflict involving Iran.

Micael Johansson spoke to Lusa in Cascais on Tuesday during the ASD Convention 2026, an event gathering Europe's leading players in the defence, security, and aerospace sectors.

"You have strong defence industries," he said when asked about Portugal's role in the sector. "We are collaborating with two of them: OGMA and Critical Software, and I think we can do more, especially if there are more collaborations between Sweden and Portugal in this area."

He said that Portugal maintains "a strong association and lots of exports," demonstrating the country's capacity to play a significant role. "Of course, you have things to add, and also technology [...] and that is why we picked Critical Software, because they have great technology to support pilot training," he said.

He said that future cooperation could deepen. "If we go into deeper collaboration on fighter aircraft, potentially going forward, when the process starts in the country, that would mean a lot" regarding the level of involvement with Portuguese industry.

Asked about the impact of the conflict with Iran and the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Johansson, who also serves as CEO of Saab, said airlines are experiencing route disruptions and rising fuel prices.

"But then it's about some materials that we are sort of needing from the [Middle East] region that are also affecting us over time," he said, adding that shipping for goods that "normally goes through the Strait" faces difficulties.

"You keep the lines open around all this, and it creates disruptions [...] it's not good for logistics," he said.

Johansson concluded that while the situation creates "negative effects" for the aviation sector, he "hopes this will be resolved very quickly."

ALU/RYOL // ADB.

Lusa