Chairman of Denmark's Defence Committee Rasmus Jarlov laments the F-35 procurement, raising questions about US control and possible remote aircraft disablement. Publicly expressing sorrow about Denmark's choice to acquire American F-35 fighter planes is Chairman Rasmus Jarlov of the Danish Defence Committee. He expressed worries that the United States would cause these aircraft to become non-functional, therefore igniting fresh discussion on the dependability of foreign defence acquisition.
Jarlov tackled the matter on social media in response to a comment from Lockheed Martin's official F-35 account rejecting claims of a "kill switch" in the aircraft. Published following weeks of conjecture, the comment highlighted the official denial of any remote disablement capabilities in the F-35 by the Pentagon.
Jarlov responded sharply, saying that the bigger question of confidence in US guarantees dominated the reality of the rumours. Denmark and other countries should not, he said, depend just on American assurances when making important defence purchases.
The debate over the so-called "kill switch" arises from worries that under specific geopolitical conditions the US may perhaps restrict access to critical equipment or limit operating capabilities of the F-35 aircraft.
Besides these technical issues, the future of relations with USA are especially pertinent in European military talks, as many countries—including Portugal and Canada—stated that they have changed their F-35 pledges in favour of other platforms such the French Rafale.
With France and Germany arguing for more freedom from US military suppliers, Jarlov's remarks contribute to the continuous discussion over European strategic autonomy. Notwithstanding issues with long-term control and sovereignty, countries like Poland and the Netherlands still view the F-35 as a vital part of NATO's air strength.
Denmark is expected to get 27 F-35A aircraft, with first deliveries under way already. Jarlov's remarks, however, draw attention to mounting discontent among Danish military personnel about the consequences of depending on US-owned platforms for national security.
Denmark's experience with the F-35 program might operate as a warning story for countries thinking about future purchases from US weapons firms as debates on European defence independence get more intense.
Jarlov said in sum; “I don’t know if there is a kill switch in the F35’s or not. We obviously can not take your word for it.
As one of the decision makers behind Denmark’s purchase of F35’s, I regret it.
The USA can certainly disable the planes by simple stopping the supply of spare parts.
I can easily imagine a situation where the USA will demand Greenland from Denmark and will threaten to deactivate our weapons and let Russia attack us when we refuse
Therefore, buying American weapons is a security risk that we can not run. We must avoid American weapons if at all possible. I encourage our allies and friends to do the same.”
