Who cares about that? Software lockout is highly unlikely as it could be used against the US.
Good luck with spare parts, THAT will be a problem
this post was submitted on 15 Feb 2026
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The problem is not a hypothetical kill switch (which is unlikely in a fighter aircraft, as there’s no reliable way of having a back door only the good guys can use, and any possibility of enemy hackers pwning your jets is a nightmare scenario). It’s the F35 being designed as the tip of a very long spear, with most of it being in the US. There’s a lot of support infrastructure one requires, and mitigating dependencies on the US would involve replacing that, at considerable expense.
It’s not impossible, though it’s debatable whether it makes more sense than developing your own fighter instead.
The problem is not a hypothetical kill switch (which is unlikely in a fighter aircraft, as there’s no reliable way of having a back door only the good guys can use, and any possibility of enemy hackers pwning your jets is a nightmare scenario).
Wait, do you think they would not do that simply because it is a bad idea?
Imagine the stock price once one her is confirmed hacked/kill switched. Every global sky using the platform stops using it and the maintenance contracts and buy orders are cancelled.
Any defence company would refuse to build something that, if actually used, destroys the company.
It didn't stop then releasing a software update at any time that could do the same though, so.. still a sort of valid fear, if international relations were already crumbling and the order book was empty etc
Any computer can be jailbroken if you have complete access to it.
The question is more, "do you really want to fly a hacked jet"?
The question is more, "do you really want to fly a hacked jet"?
No the question is... Is the modified code more secure than the proprietary code created under a virtually unlimited budget by companies that have zero reason to do anything more than the minimum contract requirement which almost certainly doesn't specify software security requirements.
Fuck yeah I want to download a ~~car~~ jet
Well, I quit android a while ago. I had loaded a different rom onto it to make the experience tolerable (and it’s one of the things acolytes pitch! So much freedom!) but it would kernel panic in the night occasionally and I would miss my alarm in the morning. Then I gave up.
So I would worry about flying in a jet that was uh…. Jailbroken.
I hope they're working on their own firmware behind the scenes, or at least enough reverse engineering efforts to regain some autonomy
Lol just drop an F35 brain off in pretty much any hacking convention / competition, sit back for a day and enjoy the most literal manifestation of the phrase "weaponized autism".
I'd bet good money someone manages to run Doom on the AR visor within a week.
The idea this is something to trust in... for something as serious as national defense is absurd.
Europe would be better off just developing their own weapons systems rather than trying to hack a 35.