The Pentagon today attempted to reassure its international partners in the F-35 program that there is no “kill switch” on the stealth fighter jet that the US could use to render it ineffective — the latest signal that there are real concerns abroad about American stewardship of the program amid tensions with historical allies.
“There is no kill switch,” the Joint Program Office (JPO) for the F-35 program said in a statement. “The program operates under well-established agreements that ensure all F-35 operators have the necessary capabilities to sustain and operate their aircraft effectively. The strength of the F-35 program lies in its global partnership, and we remain committed to providing all users with the full functionality and support they require.”
Discussion of a potential kill switch emerged earlier this month in European news reports, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s decision to pause military aid to Ukraine. Foreign officials denied the idea at the time, but concern appeared to stem more generally from the fact that the technologically driven F-35 is dependent on rolling updates from the US, especially for the plane’s complex software, as well as logistics support. The F-35 program, for which American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor, includes 19 international partners or customers.
“[It] isn’t an electronic kill switch. The US also cannot remotely take control of the F-35,” Stacie Pettyjohn, the director of the defense program at the Center for a New American Security, told Breaking Defense. “But by severing maintenance support, shipments of spare parts, and cutting foreign F-35s off from U.S. computer networks, the aircraft would quickly be hobbled.
“Without these software updates, F-35s could fly, but would be much more likely to be shot down by enemy air defenses. Also without U.S. maintainers and spare parts, it would be difficult to keep the aircraft flying for long, as it is an incredibly complex weapons system,” she said.
Since those initial reports in the European press, officials from two American allies, Portugal and Canada, have publicly said their defense ministries are reexamining their future fighter jet options in light of the new geopolitical realities. While Lisbon has not made a commitment to a next-generation fighter, Ottawa had planned to purchase nearly 90 F-35As from the US. It is under contract to go ahead with the first 16, Canada’s defense department told Breaking Defense on Monday, but it is doing its “homework” on whether the remaining jets are still in Canada’s best interest as a trade war with the US boils on.
“To be clear, we are not cancelling the F-35 contract, but we need to do our homework given the changing environment, and make sure that the contract in its current form is in the best interests of Canadians and the Canadian Armed Forces,” Laurent de Casanove, press secretary for Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair, said in a statement.
In its statement today, the JPO reiterated that the international nature of the program is among its greatest assets.
“The F-35 was conceived, developed, and continues to be operated and sustained as a joint/coalition platform, built on strong partnerships with U.S. allies and partner nations across the globe,” the statement said. “From its inception, the F-35 has been a collaborative effort, integrating the expertise and contributions of multiple countries to ensure it meets the operational needs of all its users.”
Lockheed in its own statement said that the company “is committed to helping our customers strengthen their airpower and security with the F-35. The F-35 program recently surpassed 1 million flight hours across 16 military services flying the aircraft. We remain committed to providing the reliable and capable F-35 to enable our customers to complete their missions and come home safely.”
