Europe looks to reduce reliance on US F-35s with plans for own sixth-gen fighter jets - Newsweek
Photo: Europe wants to reduce military dependence on the United States (flickr.com/compacflt)
European countries are striving to reduce their military dependence on the US. Specifically, there are plans to develop a domestic sixth-generation fighter jet in Europe, which could eventually replace the American F-35, reports Newsweek.
According to Newsweek, the controversial cessation of US military aid to Ukraine by the Trump administration caused concern among NATO countries in Europe. Additionally, rumors surfaced that the American fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, which European countries had ordered to replace their F-16s, contain a "kill switch" that would allow Washington to control them.
Lockheed Martin's F-35 is the only fifth-generation fighter jet available to Western militaries, Newsweek notes. While experts and officials downplay the significance of these concerns, they admit that the US could indeed have an influence on the operation of these jets. For instance, the US could stop updating its software or restrict access to intelligence data.
As a result, Europe has plans to build several different sixth-generation fighter jets, which could gradually enter service with countries starting in the mid-2030s, according to Newsweek. Notably, the joint British, Italian, and Japanese sixth-generation program, GCAP, aims for each participating country to make military decisions independently, without external interference.
However, Europe does not currently plan to abandon the F-35s it has already ordered, the central European official told Newsweek. The official added that the US has not signaled any intention to limit its use by partners. Such interference could undermine the export of US defense products globally.
At the same time, Europe gradually seeks to reduce its military dependence on the US. The official stated that air defense is the number one priority for the next two decades. Germany's Iris-T systems are being carefully considered as an alternative to the Patriot system. However, Europe is not planning to abandon American weaponry completely.
As a reminder, in mid-March, media reports revealed that Portugal had reversed its decision to replace its F-16 fighter jets with F-35s.
