【By Observer News, Xiong Chaoran】The series of policies implemented by President Trump and his administration have led to new tensions in diplomatic relations with some long-term allies, especially European ones. Many overseas users of the F-35 fighter jets have been continuously questioned—what would happen if the U.S. cut off support?

The U.S. military news website "The WarZone" (TWZ) reported on February 15 local time that Gijs Tuinman, the Dutch Ministry of Defense's State Secretary, said that the "computer brain" of the F-35 fighter jet, including its cloud components, can be hacked like a "jailbroken" phone to obtain third-party software updates.

According to the report, Tuinman said the day before on a podcast program of Dutch radio station BNR Nieuwsradio: "If you still want to upgrade even like this, I'm afraid I have to say something I shouldn't say, but I will say it anyway—you can 'jailbreak' the F-35 just like a 'jailbroken' iPhone."

TWZ noted that Tuinman has served as the State Secretary of the Dutch Ministry of Defense since 2024, but he did not provide more details about the "jailbreaking" process. Whether this means there are any network vulnerabilities is still unclear. He may simply be talking about possible actions that could be taken in the future in a conceptual or metaphorical way.

TWZ has contacted the F-35 Joint Program Office and manufacturer Lockheed Martin for a response to Tuinman's remarks.

Gijs Tuinman, State Secretary of the Dutch Ministry of Defense, Social Media

TWZ previously analyzed that the F-35 program imposes unique restrictions on the ability of users to modify the aircraft's software and related ground systems. Almost all software updates for currently deployed F-35 fighters are now completed through the cloud network, with its initial version called the "Autonomous Logistics Information System" (ALIS).

Ongoing issues with ALIS led to the development of the subsequent system "Operational Data Integrated Network" (ODIN), which is still in transition.

The design functions of the ALIS/ODIN network go far beyond software updates and logistics data processing; it also serves as a port for uploading mission data packages to the F-35 before missions, which include highly sensitive planning information, details of enemy air defense systems, and other intelligence; it is also used to download intelligence and other data after missions.

To date, Israel is the only known country that has successfully negotiated the right to install domestically developed software on its F-35I fighters and operate them outside the ALIS/ODIN network. Israel also has fully independent base-level maintenance capabilities.

Due to problems with the ALIS system and concerns about the transmission of sensitive information within the network, some F-35 user countries, including the Netherlands, have previously set up firewalls for certain software reprogramming activities. However, this work is still being carried out under the supervision of the U.S. military and Lockheed Martin.

Even if technically it may be feasible to hack the onboard computer of the F-35 and other parts of the ALIS/ODIN network, whether it is possible to independently reconstruct the key mission planning and other support functions provided by it remains an issue to be resolved. This is only one aspect of the conditions required to keep the aircraft flying, let alone maintaining combat effectiveness.

Last year, there were numerous reports that the F-35 might have an embedded "kill switch" that allows the U.S. authorities to remotely shut down the aircraft.

An F-35 fighter jet on the deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington. The New York Times

At the time, TWZ emphasized that even without a so-called "kill switch," the U.S. has sufficient capability to disable F-35s operating abroad. Currently, these aircraft heavily rely on a maintenance and logistics chain centered around the U.S., which is subject to U.S. export controls and agreements with the manufacturer Lockheed Martin. Even stable access to spare parts is a major challenge for the U.S. military itself, and without such support, the F-35 would quickly be grounded.

In general, any attempt to "jailbreak" the F-35 system would face serious risks of legal action from Lockheed Martin and further disputes with the U.S. government. For countries like the Netherlands, taking such an action would likely be a sign of further deterioration in relations with Washington.

If such an action were actually taken, it would easily lead to the cutoff of spare parts and other support (if not already done), causing the "jailbroken" aircraft to quickly become "bricks" on the ground. It should be clearly stated that hacking the software cannot alleviate the chain effects of being excluded from the key support supply chain.

Disputes between the Trump administration and certain U.S. allies have brought a certain level of turbulence to the F-35 program, as evidenced by last year's reports about the "kill switch."

Recently, trade disputes and other rifts between Canada and the U.S. have prompted Ottawa to launch an investigation into its F-35 procurement plan. Given the diplomatic rifts between the U.S. and other countries, there are now broader questions about the future of U.S. defense exports, especially to Europe.

At the same time, although Tuinman spoke about the possibility of hacking the aircraft's computer system, he still expressed overall support for the F-35 in that podcast program.

"Even if this interdependence does not bring software updates, the F-35 in its current state is still better than other types of fighter jets," Tuinman believed.

TWZ stated that, overall, the actual meaning of "jailbreaking" the F-35 and how it would affect the aircraft's combat effectiveness in the absence of support from the U.S. government and Lockheed Martin remain unresolved issues. At the same time, Tuinman's remarks indeed highlight the broader issues surrounding the F-35 program, particularly for external users, many of which are not new problems.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7607319933790028307/

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