F-35 ‘kill switch' could allow Trump to disable European air force
Donald Trump could deactivate supplies of American F-35 fighter jets making their way to Germany at the push of a button known as a 'kill switch', officials fear.
Germany is set to receive 35 of the world's most advanced fighter jets for €8.3 billion (£6.9 billion) next year in a deal made with the US.
The ability of the US to flip a switch that would render them inoperable has long been the subject of speculation, but until now, it has not been proven.
But concern is mounting that Mr Trump might employ the same drastic action to enforce his political objectives on Ukraine.
This week, he froze military aid to Ukraine and paused intelligence-sharing to put pressure on Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, to convene peace talks with Russia and to sign a minerals deal with Washington.
On Saturday, reports surfaced that US-supplied F-16s had stopped working in Ukraine.
Though this was because of the suspension of critical support for radar systems rather than them being 'switched off', Joachim Schranzhofer, the head of communications at Hensoldt, the German arms company, told Germany's Bild newspaper the 'kill switch in the F-35 is more than just a rumour'.
European leaders have continued to rally around Mr Zelensky as Mr Trump takes an increasingly hard line against Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Wolfgang Ischinger, the former chairman of the Munich Security Conference, told Bild Mr Trump's loss of support for Ukraine bodes ill for Germany's relationship with Washington on defence matters.
Mr Ischinger said: 'If we should fear that the US would make the future German F-35 [jets] the same as they do in Ukraine now, then the issue of contract cancellation may be considered.'
The prospect of the US turning on Germany after the deal is complete will embolden those who have voiced concern over Europe's growing reliance on the US for arms.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), around 55 per cent of arms imports by European states in 2019–23 were supplied by the US, up from 35 per cent in 2014–18.
Dan Smith, the director of Sipri, said: 'More than half of arms imports by European states come from the USA.
'At the same time, Europe is responsible for about a third of global arms exports, including large volumes going outside the region, reflecting Europe's strong military–industrial capacity.'
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