Overview
- Tuinman made the comment on BNR’s Boekestijn en De Wijk podcast when asked if Europeans could alter the jet’s software without U.S. approval.
- Lockheed Martin referred questions about the claim to the U.S. government, which had not responded at the time of reporting.
- Experts note the F-35’s encrypted, multi‑million‑line codebase and dependence on the ALIS update and logistics system would make any unauthorized modification difficult and unsafe.
- Israel remains the only operator publicly acknowledged to have a special arrangement to run its own software on its F‑35I fleet.
- The statement follows broader European concerns about U.S. leverage over support, including reported ‘kill switch’ fears and Portugal’s reported move to drop an F‑35 procurement.