European countries deny claims Trump could cripple air force with F-35 ‘kill switch’ - eviltoast

Summary

European nations refute claims that the U.S. has a “kill switch” for F-35 fighter jets, despite concerns raised after Trump suspended military aid and intelligence support to Ukraine.

While no evidence confirms such a switch, experts warn the U.S. could limit access to crucial software updates.

Belgium and Switzerland assert their F-35s remain autonomous but acknowledge reliance on U.S. data systems.

Set to receive 35 F-35s in 2026, some German politicians are questioning whether the purchase should have been made amid these concerns.

  • Exec@pawb.social
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    1 day ago

    but what happens when Trump decides in 6 months to stop shipping engines and engine parts and software updates and encryption keys

    Soon we’ll return to what was when Microsoft had a separate Windows NT 4 High Encryption release