The United States could seriously cripple all of its allies’ F-35 fighter jets without firing a shot. This is according to an episode of the Dutch investigative journalism program released earlier this month.
“The US is sitting on the controls,” say Dutch reporters. The series (Argos, a kind of Dutch four corners) describes the F-35 as “under Trump’s wings”.
The concern is related to the F-35’s software, the code of which is known only to the United States. US allies operating jets regularly update software based on US-directed changes.
It is unclear whether the jets’ capacity will simply suffer over time if cooperation with the US ends, or whether there are more sinister implications. After the claims in the Argos report, US officials were forced to deny the “kill switch” embedded in the F-35 code.
However, according to Christophe Gomart, a former director of French military intelligence, “If the United States does not agree to any military action, you cannot use the F-35 fighter jets.”
The F-35 is a premier fighter jet under the command of the armed forces of the Western bloc. The Australian Air Force depends on them, currently operating 75 F-35 jets. The Netherlands, likewise, operates 46 jets.
After dangerous deliberations, Trump refused to rule out a military occupation of Greenland, a Danish territory. Probably from such a visit. It will mark the end of the NATO alliance.
Europe has mostly united behind Denmark, with the exception of right-wing populist outliers Hungary and Slovakia. “The European Union was created to undermine the United States, and it has done a very good job of that,” Trump once said.
On Monday, Denmark moved station troops and its army chief to Greenland. The US has reportedly mobilized a 1,500-strong division trained for polar warfare.
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