--- title: "Lockheed Martin F-35s Can Be Jailbroken Like $80 Million iPhones, European Military Chief Says" description: "Depending on who you ask, Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II is either the most sophisticated weapons platform ever built, or an $80 million disaster that's [too fragile]() for rain and its namesake lightning. What it definitely is, Dutch defense secretary…" date: "2026-02-20" modified: "2026-02-20" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/science-energy/f35-jailbreak-dutch" categories: - "Military" - "Science & Energy" --- # Lockheed Martin F-35s Can Be Jailbroken Like $80 Million iPhones, European Military Chief Says ![Stealth fighter jet viewed from above, highlighted in red against a green background with a grid and angular measurement markings. The jet has a sleek, angular design with twin tail fins and visible insignia on the wings and fuselage.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Zhang Hui / VCG via Getty Images* Depending on who you ask, Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II is either the most sophisticated weapons platform ever built, or an $80 million disaster that's [too fragile]() for rain and its namesake lightning. What it definitely is, Dutch defense secretary Gijs Tuinman insists, is jailbreakable — "just like an iPhone." In an episode of the Danish podcast [Boekestijn en De Wijk show](), translated from Dutch [by the *Register*](), Tuinman suggested that the incredibly expensive F-35s could be maintained by European armies with or without support from the US. "The F-35 is truly a shared product," Tuinman told the interviewer. "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." That being the case, he continued, "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." Tuinman didn't elaborate, and the *Register* didn't receive any elaboration. Still, his comments reveal a fascinating anxiety between US arms manufacturers like Lockheed and European military. Per the *Register*, the F-35 Lightning II gets routine software updates from Lockheed through a proprietary Automatic Logistics Information System, which pushes updates to the entire fleet every year or two. (Think of it like an expensive iOS update.) Though European militaries might own the physical planes, the US controls the software. If Washington decides to stop sending updates — perhaps in retaliation for [trade tariffs]() or an unfavorable deal [on Greenland]() — there's an implied threat that the Dutch air force will essentially be left with some very expensive bricks on the runway. While it remains to be seen if Tuinman knows of some secret backdoor hack for the F-35, jailbreaking a world-class fighter jet is almost certainly easier said than done. Still, with fears from European countries that the US could [remotely disable European fleets]() with a "kill switch," it wouldn't exactly be a bad time for the Dutch to start cracking the F-35's codes. **More on military hardware:** *[SpaceX Angling for Military Contract to Produce Drone Swarms]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()