Berlin – The questions are increasing in Canada and in Europe about whether the purchases of large high-end bags from the USA., Such as the F-35 Strike Fighter set, remain a good strategic option for Western countries concerned about their investment in defense technology in the United States.
In less than two months, the president of the United States, Donald Trump Decades overturned by American foreign policy. He has left NATO members questioning whether the United States will honor the commitment of the alliance to defend themselves if other European countries are attacked by Russia. He has also made repeated repetitions to Russia and suspended most of the foreign aid of the United States.
And Pete Hegesh, Trump’s Secretary of Defense, told a meeting of European Defense Ministers “last month that marked strategic realities” prevent the United States from focusing mainly on Europe’s security.
That could affect foreign sales of F-35 produced by Lockheed Martin and other advanced US planes such as F-16. As the war in Ukraine continues in its fourth year, it is clear that the members of the Eastern European still still have large weapons of the Soviet era in their reserves that were not interoperable with Western weapons. A long-term plan to obtain all NATO on similar platforms, by replacing the old planes of the Soviet era with Westerners, particularly the F-16 and, in some cases, the F-35, has gained impulse.
Some of NATO countries are now rethinking their defense to the systems made by the United States and potentially considering European airplanes such as Saab Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale.
In Canada, where Trump has launched A commercial war And he has threatened the economic coercion to make him the US state 51, the new Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked the defense minister Bill Blair to review his purchase of F-35. Canada has been a partner of the United States in the development of F-35.
Blair will see if there are other options “given the changing environment,” said a defense spokesman.
And in Portugal, the Outgoing Defense Minister In an interview with a Portuguese newspaper published last week that the “recent positions” taken by the United States forced replanting about the purchase of F-35 because the United States has become unpredictable. Portugal is considering several options to replace its F-16.
“You are not only buying a plane, you are buying a relationship with the United States,” said Winslow T. Wheeler, a government guard dog that spent 30 years in the United States Congress working for Democrats and Republicans in national security and defense problems. “People in the past have not only received welcome, but yearned for that kind of relationship.”
The Netherlands and Norway have expressed their recent support for the F-35 program in comments to the media.
“The F-35 is a vital component of our national defense capacity, and cooperation and dialogue with the United States continue to support the development and use of this high-end platform,” said Norway Secretary of State, Andreas Flåm, in a statement. “We hope that this constructive cooperation will continue in the future.”
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was designed to Combine stealthmaneuverability and attack capabilities in a single plane. Each Jet costs around $ 85 million (78 million euros), and the price jumps at $ 100 million (91 million euros) to $ 150 million (137 million euros) when the infrastructure and spare parts are included. To date there have been around 1,100 for 16 military services worldwide.
The F-35B, a variant that can take off from the ship covers vertically, is the latest model. It is the most expensive weapons system that the United States has produced, with estimated costs for life that is now expected to exceed $ 1.7 billion. One of the ways in which the program had to reduce these costs was selling more airplanes to international clients.
But the recent Trump administration pause about Ukraine’s intelligence to force the country to negotiate with Russia has fed fear that the United States can have similar ways of forcing them to a future fight, such as embedding a hypothetical “killing switch” in the millions of F-35 programming lines.
In a statement, the joint office of the F-35 Lightning II program of the F-35 Pentagon on Tuesday vehemently rejected any notion that the planes sold to allies could be disabled remotely.
“There is no killing switch.” The strength of the F-35 program lies in its global association, and we remain committed to providing all users with the functionality and full support they require. “
But that is not the only way to affect an ally program, Wheeler said. The F-35 requires constant technological updates controlled by the United States to operate in combat. If a relationship with the US. UU. The updates were delayed and delayed, could make an airplane, or even a fleet, inoperable, he said.
Lockheed Martin, in a statement on Tuesday, said the company is committed to helping its clients “strengthening their air and safety power with the F-35”.
“As part of our government contracts, we deliver all system infrastructure and the data required so that all F-35 customers support the aircraft,” said the defense contractor. “We remain committed to providing affordable and reliable support services to our clients that allow them to complete their missions and return home safely.”
Saab Flipen, Eurofighter Typhoon and Dassault Rafale could see an increase in sales if other countries decide to give up their purchases F-35. But none of them have the stealthy abilities of F-35.
The Swedish Saaben of Manufacturing is used by the military of Sweden, the Czech Republic, Hungary, South Africa,Brazil and Thailand. The wisdom of the conventional defense industry says that it is significantly cheaper than the F-35, Wheeler said.
The Typhoon Eurofighter, a Swing role -playing plane, is part of the British, GermanSpanish and Italian forces. It is manufactured by a consortium of defense companies: Airbus, Bae Systems and Leonardo.
The Dassault Rafale twin fighter It is used by the French Navy and the French air and spatial force. He governments of Egypt, India, Qatar, Greece, Croatia, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia and Indonesia have signed contracts for raphales.
David Jordan, head of Defense Studies at King’s College London and co -director of Freeman Air and Space Institute, said that previously, European leaders felt that it was easier and more profitable to rely on the United States defense industry, and US taxpayers, to obtain access to advanced weapons. But the departure from the Trump administration of Europe could be the turning point, Jordan said.
It would require the continent to group its money and resources, often a point of conflict between countries, in research and development, manufacturing and logistics, but Jordan said it is possible within five to 10 years.
“The European defense industry is more than capable of building what it needs,” said Jordan.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, is already increasing his efforts to persuade the allies of France to change European defense contractors and weapons systems, including Rafale’s combatants built by the French.
“Those who buy the F-35 should offer the rafale.
If Europeans increase their production, it would greatly affect the results of Lockheed Martin and other US defense companies. Jordan said US defense contractors are probably worried about Trump’s next movement.
“When will we say ‘we don’t like this, we are talking about risking billions of dollars here,” Jordan said.
The White House did not respond to a request for comments on Tuesday.
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Copp reported from Washington.
