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Germany beginning to re-consider its F-35 fighter jet order [1]
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Date: 2025-03-10
Following the Trump-initiated sound & fury world-altering turn of events over the last two weeks, this weekend saw the first discussions arise in Germany over the country’s forthcoming purchase of 35x F-35 Lightning II fighter jets.
In view of the USA’s abrupt hobbling of Ukrainian intelligence capabilities and thus their subsequent inability to operate/use certain American armaments to their full extent, acute concern is now being raised in Germany about the F-35’s emergency switch, a normally unremarkable back-door software which would disable the aircraft in case it fell into the wrong hands or failed to comply with the USA’s end-user conditions.
This is a standard feature with all high-spec American weapons systems, the most famous example being the UK’s entirely submarine-based Trident nuclear ballistic missile system, which cannot be activated an/or launched without active American input.
The F-35’s ‘kill switch’ is entirely under USA control and in the current circumstances it gives rise to understandable concerns that any such use of the F-35 jet by Germany could be brutally curtailed if it incurs the displeasure of the US government.
Although the German government has not (yet) publicly commented on this matter, a critical interview was given on Saturday to Germany’s largest circulation newspaper by Wolfgang Ischinger. In German political & defence circles, few come better-connected than this former long-standing head of the Munich Security Conference (2008-2022) as well as Germany’s former ambassador to the USA (2001-2006) and to the UK (2006-2008). In the interview, he propounded clearly on this topic, most certainly not something he would have readily done unless cleared to do so by the highest authority.
In a parallel and certainly co-ordinated move, an interview was given the day before by Michael Schoellhorn, the CEO of Airbus Defence & Space Systems which manufactures the Typhoon Eurofighter (the German air force’s main combat aircraft), to another German newspaper where he addressed the F-35 issues and stressed the forthcoming latest Tranche 5 development of the Eurofighter.
Although Germany’s order of 35 jets in not very big when compared to some other countries, the F-35’s continuous delays and substantial cost over-runs haven’t made it very popular with client countries. Any such order cancellation would be hugely influential and have far-reaching ramifications by accelerating the debate in other countries (viz Canada) and possibly setting things up for a domino effect. With Germany’s new Chancellor’s stated desire to create a USA-independent defence capability with a massively beefed-up defence budget to match, all bets are off where things will from here.
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