Countries around the world are becoming increasingly concerned about their dependencies on the US. If you’ve purchase US-made F-35 fighter jets, you are dependent on the US for software maintenance.
The Dutch Defense Secretary recently said that he could jailbreak the planes to accept third-party software.
107cwk • March 10, 2026 6:38 AM
I think the main issue here is not whether the F35 (or any other weaponry) can be jailbroken. It’s the legal ramification tied to sanctions and trade wars. The Dutch certainly have the capabilities to do so, but if the consequences were added tariffs, or removed access to intelligence sources, or even sanctions, then the consequences would probably not be worth.
Winter • March 10, 2026 6:46 AM
It seems Israel did too. Not vouching for the truth or accuracy of the report:
Israel “Jailbroke” the F-35 (And the US Said Yes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37i6OigjVvU
The F-35 is the most advanced computer in the sky. But it has one major flaw: The pilot doesn’t own the software—Lockheed Martin does. Every F-35 in the world reports its data back to the US… except one.
This is the story of the F-35I “Adir.” It is the only stealth fighter in the world that has been “jailbroken” by its operators. From hacking the ALIS logistics system to installing unauthorized “Spice” bombs and secret fuel tanks designed to reach Iran, discover how Israel turned a $100 million American jet into their own secret weapon.
In this video, we uncover:
How Israel bypassed the “iPhone of Planes” lock-in.
The secret “Man-in-the-Middle” computer hack.
Why F-35 wings are actually built in Tel Aviv.
The “Adir” vs. Iran: Solving the range problem.
See also:
F-35I Adir: Israel’s Custom F-35 That No Other Nation Has
https://www.19fortyfive.com/2025/04/f-35i-adir-israels-custom-f-35-that-no-other-nation-has/
Robin Cliveson • March 10, 2026 7:48 AM
This is pure jawboning of the most risible kind. If I were a citizen of a country whose Defense Minister makes public statements like this, I would be quite concerned for my safety…
Bob Paddock • March 10, 2026 8:40 AM
“The Joint Aircraft Survivability Program (JASP) Office is pleased to announce the release of the 2026 spring issue of the Aircraft Survivability journal (ASJ). The journal is viewable and available for electronic download at:
‘https://jasp-online.org/asjournal
.”
Larry Seltzer • March 10, 2026 8:54 AM
As others have said, you really don’t want to void the warranty on this item
Rontea • March 10, 2026 9:42 AM
This is exactly the problem: modern fighter jets are computers with wings, bombs, and bullets. When you buy an F-35, you’re not just buying an aircraft—you’re buying into a tightly controlled software ecosystem. Like any networked computer, it comes with dependencies, update channels, and the risk of external control. Suggesting a “jailbreak” is natural in a world where the difference between a grounded jet and a fully mission-capable one might be a line of code. In cybersecurity, we’ve learned that whoever controls the software ultimately controls the system, and the same lesson now applies at 30,000 feet.
Clive Robinson • March 10, 2026 10:53 AM
@ 107cwk, ALL,
You say
“I think the main issue here is not whether the F35 (or any other weaponry) can be jailbroken. It’s the legal ramification tied to sanctions and trade wars.
The real main issue is that the US “requires” other nations to pay for it’s “military advantage”.
The F35 is grossly over priced and to be honest not worth the money.
Whilst the figures are “put through the wash and dry cycle” the fact is the US is getting others to pay for the US weapons and it’s one of the reasons the EU is fairly intently at fetting the “US Tax off of their backs”.
Worse the US decides if you get any compatible munitions and how and when you can use them. Because they think,
1, Might is right.
2, What we want is ours by right.
3, We can do or say anything we want and you should pay.
There is generally not much I agree with with “French Politics” but one thing they are right about, is if we don’t spend on US Weapons then we don’t get to pay for the US to point an even bigger gun at our heads, or other peoples heads…
Given the trustworthyness of the current US administration, if your government bought this crap, you’d be crazy not to jailbreak it.
The US not sharing intel with you? Multiple reports say that France and Ukraine offered fake intel to the US, and that Russia got it; they are not now sharing intel with the US.
Of course, you’d either be violating your country’s anti-circumvention law… or you repeal it. (See Cory Doctorow on that.)
Winter • March 10, 2026 1:56 PM
@mark
Multiple reports say that France and Ukraine offered fake intel to the US, and that Russia got it; they are not now sharing intel with the US.
Even though these reports align perfectly with all my prejudices, I have to disappoint you. There is no credible evidence beyond a remark of a single French operative and a lot of social media amplification.
Both mad Pete Hegseth and dozy Donald could not keep a secret if their lives depended on it. But there is really no evidence they were informed and able to leak it.
Winter • March 11, 2026 2:40 AM
@lurker
MSM dumbing down the story for a general audience.
That story will be complicated, but we can likely distill it to a sound-bite:
People get what they pay for
Any publisher that is not paid by it’s readers, listeners, or viewers will have to get paid by someone else.
And we know:
He who pays the piper calls the tune
Now, that’s the common Internet folklore doom scrolling story.
Then my “own” story. I pay for a big MSM newspaper which publishes investigative journalism on all kinds of subjects. It also follows my principal rule of never “supporting” the sitting government. In short, it doesn’t dumbs news down. They make mistakes, because it is produced by humans. But so do I.
Furthermore, I follow many free news sites and podcasts that present very technical and complicated matters. I have met no people yet who accuse, eg, Cory Doctorow, of dumbing down his messages.
What can I learn from this?
People select their media to suit their tastes.
When media production costs money and people don’t want to pay for it, the media will publish what delivers them money, ie, advertising. And advertising pays for the lowest common denominator, which, in case of MSM, is a minimally interested person of (below-)average education and intelligence who doesn’t want to learn something new and unexpected.
We know from history that mobs originate from pubs, and democracies from coffee houses. The former are the arena of gossip and brawls. The latter of newspapers and polite discussions. (I exaggerate here)
We have to acknowledge that many people have a clear preference for one over the other.
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Sidebar photo of Bruce Schneier by Joe MacInnis.
Michel • March 10, 2026 6:13 AM
It might even be true, who knows, but I suspect jailbreaking an F35 isn’t the main challenge here.
Getting parts for a jailbroken F35 is probably trickier, and I certainly wouldn’t want to be the one signing off on there being no backdoors in that thing if people find themselves opposing the US due to say another Greenland idiocy.
“Nice jet you have there, would be a shame if something were to happen to it.”