Dutch defense chief says Europe could crack F-35 software ‘like an iPhone’
Dutch defense chief says Europe could crack F-35 software ‘like an iPhone’
Publish Date: 2026-02-15 15:55:00
Source Domain: www.turkiyetoday.com
A F-35 Lightning II fighter jet is on a runway at a military equipment exhibition in Bucharest, Romania, May 2024. (Adobe Stock Photo)
February 15, 2026 11:55 PM GMT+03:00
The Netherlands’ caretaker State Secretary for Defense has openly suggested that European allies could bypass American control over the F-35 fighter jet’s software, comparing the process to jailbreaking an iPhone, in a striking public admission that underscores growing European anxiety over dependence on US military technology.
Gijs Tuinman, a member of the BBB party serving as State Secretary for Defense in the Dutch caretaker government, made the remarks during an appearance on BNR’s Boekestijn & De Wijk podcast, where he addressed a range of sensitive defense topics including European readiness against a potential large-scale Russian attack on NATO countries, the prospect of a European defense posture without American support, and the thorny issue of F-35 software dependency.
Close-up of F-35 fighter jet flying at the 39th Fleet Week air show in San Francisco, Oct 12, 2019. (Adobe Stock Photo)
Europe’s F-35 fleet runs on American code
The F-35 Lightning II, produced by Lockheed Martin, is the backbone of multiple European air forces, but its software and mission systems are developed and controlled by the United States. Operational updates, maintenance codes, and capability upgrades all flow through American channels, a dependency that has long concerned allied governments but rarely been discussed so bluntly in public.
Asked whether the reliance of Dutch F-35s on US software updates would become a problem if the…
