16.02.2026 06:41
The Dutch government's State Secretary for Defense, Tuinman, stated that if the United States does not approve the update of the F-35 fighter jets' software, they will do it themselves, saying, "You can hack the F-35's software. Just like an iPhone."
Gijs Tuinman, the State Secretary for Defense of the Dutch interim government, addressed the readiness of Europe against a potential large-scale Russian attack on NATO countries, the European defense union without U.S. support, and the dependency of F-35 fighter jets on U.S. software in the podcast program Boekestijn & De Wijk by BNR.
Tuinman stated that everything would be ready against the Russian threat by the end of 2028, mentioning that by this date, tanks, additional F-35s, ordered Tomahawk missiles, and artillery systems would have been delivered.
STRIKING WORDS FOR F-35s
Regarding whether the dependency of F-35 aircraft in the Netherlands on U.S. software updates would pose a problem if the Americans were to withdraw as allies, Tuinman noted that in the next 1.5-2 years, the Netherlands would work closely with the Norwegians and soon the Poles in Europe for this purpose.
"THEN THE AMERICANS..."
Tuinman said, "Then we will see for ourselves whether the Americans will really clarify their stance."
"WE CAN HACK THEIR SOFTWARE JUST LIKE THE IPHONE"
On the possibility that the U.S. might not cooperate or be reluctant to update the F-35's software, Tuinman stated, "I will tell you something I should never say, but I am saying it anyway. Yes, ultimately you have another option. You can hack the F-35's software. Just like the iPhone. I won't say anything more about that."