this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2026
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'It's Possible to jailbreak F-35 like iPhone', Says Dutch State Secretary of Defense Tuinman (www.bnr.nl)
submitted 20 hours ago by Beep@lemmus.org to c/technology@lemmy.world
77 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

A widespread concern is what would happen to Dutch weapon systems if the Americans were to withdraw completely as an ally. For example, Dutch F-35 aircraft are dependent on American software updates. Yet, Tuinman isn't particularly worried about this.

"The F-35 is truly a shared product. The British make the Rolls-Royce engines, and the Americans simply need them too." And even if this mutual dependency doesn't result in software updates, the F-35, in its current state, is still a better aircraft than other types of fighters.

If you still want to upgrade despite everything, I'm going to say something I should never say, but I will anyway: you can jailbreak an F-35 just like an iPhone. (Crack it with your own software, ed.)

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[–] Iconoclast@feddit.uk 4 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

It was Dutch F-35s that shot down the Russian drones over Poland. It could've just as well been a Russian fighter jet they scrambled to intercept.

Yeah, they do need a stealth jet. Stealth is what lets you fire your missiles before the enemy even knows you're there.

[–] vacuumflower@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

It was Dutch F-35s that shot down the Russian drones over Poland.

The dirt cheap drones, those of them that diverted by error or malfunction from their intended targets, that is, inside margin of error.

Using F-35s to shoot down that in an actual war with waves of those drones seems inefficient. Paying more than the attack costs. Raising a jet costs fuel and maintenance. It's purely a very expensive peacetime solution near a conflict. Those drones should have been intercepted by ground AD batteries. Which in case of being a war participant and not a neighbor you will need.

Yeah, they do need a stealth jet. Stealth is what lets you fire your missiles before the enemy even knows you’re there.

As a strategic weapon yes.

OK, as part of common European defense yes, it's just that it's still not unified enough it seems. Perhaps a common European military with mandatory training and reserve enlistment for citizens, standardized equipment and procedures (OK, that already exists), united command and proscription and budget, would be better. Because when it's decided by separate governments, you end up with F-35s shooting down random drones being used as a proof that the system works.

That would mean, of course, turning the EU into a confederation from a union.

[–] Iconoclast@feddit.uk 4 points 13 hours ago

Firstly, it's not just about the price of the drones being shot down - it's also about the price of whatever they were going to hit if you didn't stop them.

And secondly, that's entirely beside the point anyway. The Dutch need stealth fighters just as much as anyone else would.