Key Points – As President Trump’s trade wars strain U.S. alliances, Canada and European nations fear their F-35 fleets could become hostage to American politics.
-The Pentagon tightly controls spare parts, upgrades, and software for Lockheed Martin’s stealth fighter, creating vulnerabilities for operators abroad.
-Canadian and Danish officials openly question their reliance on American-made jets, citing risks that spare parts and critical updates could be withheld.
-Former Royal Canadian Air Force head Yvan Blondin warns Canada’s dependency on U.S. goodwill makes the F-35 a liability.
-Some countries are now reconsidering their fighter-jet strategies, possibly moving toward a more diversified and independent approach.
F-35 Nightmare: Canada Fears U.S. Could Ground Its Fighter Jets
Burned by the trade war U.S. President Donald Trump is waging on friends, allies, and enemies across the globe, F-35 operators abroad worry the Pentagon could hamstring F-35s in foreign service by throttling the flow of spare parts.
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II is an export success and is now in service with European NATO allies, Israel, and other partners. But the U.S. Department of Defense controls the flow of crucial support equipment for the jet.
F-35s in service with Canada, with the Luftwaffe in Germany, or elsewhere abroad, thus remain firmly dependent on the U.S. government to continue flying.
And that fact has a number of countries asking, given America’s new, more antagonistic relationship with most of the world, whether the F-35 has changed from a powerful geopolitical asset into a significant liability.
Some of the strongest voices saying that it has, emanate from Canada.
In Canada, More than Concerns — Outright Consternation
Yvan Blondin, a retired lieutenant general in the Royal Canadian Air Force, says that Canada has to nix any further purchases of F-35s.
Blondin was the head of the Royal Canadian Air Force from 2012 to 2015. Writing on LinkedIn, he claimed the United States has proven to Canadians that it is not the reliable partner it had been in the past.
“Reliance on a US defence umbrella, a critical factor since the end of WW2 for so many countries, is no longer guaranteed. No affected country can afford to close its eyes and hope that 2026 or 2028 elections in the US will bring everything back to ‘normal’… and not happen again,” Blondin explained. “The toothpaste cannot go back in the tube. We have no choice but to consider its impact and figure out how to adjust to this newly created global insecurity.
“The reality is that, without US consent, no country can hope to operate the F-35 for long: the US controls its operating software, updates, upgrades, maintenance, parts and armament.”
Blondin added: “The current US F-35 programme dependency on international partner parts production cannot be taken for granted either; the way US relationships with its closest allies are deteriorating, the current administration may at any time put an end to these contracts and repatriate the production of essential parts critical to its own defence, and for the 50-year-life of the programme. Believing that the currently ‘allowed’ Canadian production of F-35 parts is a guarantee for the future of the Canadian F-35 programme would be naïve at this point.”
F-35 Concern in Europe, Too
Some of the United States’ other allies have also seen their previously firm trust in the U.S. deeply shaken, and people there are openly expressing their regret about their countries’ choices to purchase the F-35 platform.
Rasms Jarlov, a lawmaker from Denmark, took to social media to give voice to his dismay.
“As one of the decision makers behind Denmark’s purchase of F35’s, I regret it,” Jarlov wrote. Jarlov said the Department of Defense can “certainly disable the planes by simply stopping the supply of spare parts.
“Therefore, buying American weapons is a security risk that we can not run. We will make enormous investments in air defence, fighter jets, artillery and other weapons in the coming years, and we must avoid American weapons if at all possible.”
Alternatives to the F-35
At the present moment, there are no obvious, viable alternatives to the F-35 fighter jet in mass production, let alone in service. Lockheed Martin owns the fifth-generation market, for now. Are there alternatives to the advanced American stealth fighter on the horizon? There might be.
One possibility could be the GCAP project, a multi-national effort to field a sixth-generation fighter. That initiative brings together the expertise of the United Kingdom’s BAE Systems and Italy’s Leonardo, as well as Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Those three countries are combining their aeronautical strengths and sharing project costs. Rumor has it that Saudi Arabia has also expressed a desire to join the effort.
And while Riyadh is, compared to the other three countries, an aerospace lightweight, the Saudis could bring a needed infusion of cash into a project that could prove to be hugely expensive.
What Happens Now?
Other countries will have to forge their own paths forward. In Canada’s case, a previously unthinkable notion has been broached: flying a two-fighter fleet of F-35s and another fighter-jet model to minimize exposure to an American spare-parts freeze.
Though Ottawa has long eschewed a two-fighter air fleet due to logistical and training complexities, concern runs deep enough about the future reliability of the F-35 to open the question.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
K Coughlin
May 11, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Canada has already paid for 16 or 18 F35’s. The infrastructure to service and maintain these that is required and is not insignificant. Canada is not allowed to sell them, so we are ultimately stuck with-the final additional purchases as well. The Euro option is made with US parts, so the US can kill that option as well.
Towelie62$
May 11, 2025 at 9:02 pm
With all due respect Mr Blondin, Canada has NOT been a reliable partner to the US. We signed an agreement to fund our military at 2% of GDP and we never have. Lots of talk but no money. The good ole USA will look after us. We’ll, they are calling us on our BS.
Roger
May 11, 2025 at 11:39 pm
There is no danger of partner nations not receiving spare parts, or software. The F-35 is called the Joint Strike Fighter for a reason. All of the partner nations manufacture components for the F-35. They could just as easily hamstring the US fleet. There has never been an example of a partner/NATO ally ever losing sovereign control of US equipment. Hyperbole and pearl clutching needs to stop.
Fernando. Ruiz
May 12, 2025 at 7:21 am
The. EUROJET. Turbo GmbH. Consortium , makers. of. the. EJ-200. and. EJ-230. Engines , is. a
Totally. 100%. European. Firm , not. American.
Canada. paid. for. 16. F-35. Jets
from. Lockheed. USA , but. is. NOT
mandated. to. purchase. any. Other. Planes .
French. DASSAULT. is. 100 %. French. parts. components. including. Engines .
Only. Swedish. GRIPPEN. J-39. has.the. Problem. of. using. General. Electric. USA. GE-F414 G
Engines .
Go. for. the. DASSAULT. “RAFALE”
or. the. Euro- Jet. “Typhoon”.
S. Pike
May 12, 2025 at 1:31 pm
The US should immediately cut off sales to outside countries – especially Canada, who has proven to be more of a liability that an asset.
If long past time for Europe (and Canada) to stop being mooch countries and stand up for themselves.
Gerry Pearson
May 12, 2025 at 1:49 pm
This article must have been written by AI, as there are too many sections that have very poor grammar and context.
Dustin
May 12, 2025 at 2:16 pm
Honestly, is it really a concern for Canada. Who the f is Canada going to war against? Who said service on their f35s would stop? This is all hearsay
John T Beckman III
May 12, 2025 at 5:29 pm
It seems to me that those Lieutenant generals in Canada and other officials, political or military that are crying about the F 35 parts Services upgrades and so forth whatever their situation is obviously they want everybody to feel terrible like they feel, which is ridiculous! There has never been any country that sells their military hardware, especially aircraft that is given a carte blanche on all their parts, spare parts upgrades, and so forth if there has how about pointed out to me? I understand that this aircraft was assembled by the help of various countries not just United States so therefore everybody’s in the same boat and what we don’t need is somebody that’s rocking the boat trying to tear apart NATO and United States with their little Nasty comments. It seems to me that they need to be moved to another country. That’s the actual the bad guys maybe you need to move with them that’s my opinion. We’re all in this together and roll against those that don’t want to be democratic in this age just because United States has a different president and he’s doing it his way He’s not creating any crime for you or your country no more than any other country does when they sell their aircraft except in this case, United States is definitely in the same boat. Everybody else is because they’re not building the whole aircraft in America or different countries that have built that aircraft And shared all this that’s part of America and NATO. Of course I could get into who’s not paying things and why the US keeps paying for everybody else, but we’re not gonna get into that but you might want to keep that in mind especially those for the big mouth that’s Trying to stir everybody up! All you’re doing is making the job easier for our enemies and yes, we’ve got plenty of them so you keep on using that mouth of yours people and you’ll have us all broken up in the little pieces and then the enemy can come by and squash every one of them, including everybody else we stay together in one big group like NATO and all these other alliances is harder for them to step on everybody without having everybody to come down on them, so somebody needs to wake up this lieutenant general and a few other people that have a big mouth then seem to be working for the wrong side. It’s my opinion, of course, but that’s what you’re doing. You’re trying to weaken the whole group it break everybody out just because you’re having a pity party with yourself and you want everybody to feel terrible also, how about growing up? This is a real world now! We always seem to find several people that want to rock the boat and make it easier for our adversaries to step in. I don’t care for the political situation. I never have. I’m more military, but it doesn’t really matter when somebody starts crying about a situation which is not true. They’re making the job easier for our adversaries! Let us work together as a team, not argue amongst ourselves and tear everything apart that we put together! Let’s also pull the weight like we’re supposed to if you were supposed to put out so much money on doing certain things then you need to start doing it a lot of times you get the people that owe the most money the ones that are complaining Could that be the situation? The reason why somebody is having this little tantrum they want to get out of what they owe think about it? There’s my two cents worth and I hope the rest of you would have a little chat with these people that are trying to weaken NATO in a relationship between America and other countries. Yes I am an American, but I don’t see anything wrong with what’s being done thank you and let’s keep Working together and let’s work together as friends and stop making the job for enemies easier. There was a good saying back in World War II loose lips lose ships; we could apply that for aircraft also as well as other things! Let’s work together like we should be working together!
Kerchan3
John T Beckman III
Medical retired US Navy (22 yrs)
Air Traffic Controller 1 yrs
Data Analyst 12 yrs
Christian School Teacher (12 yrs – 2 Christian Schools K-4,through 12th grades
& Network Manager last 4 yrs at ACS)
Professional Digital Computer Artist last 37+ yrs drawing Starships, Fighters & Backgrounds in 3-D Color with my mouse;
Drawing my own versions for Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5 & Andromeda and still drawing after 37+ years!
(I’ve been in a wheelchair and haven’t been able to stand or walk basically since April 1975! I was medically retired and still could not stand or walk and only receive 10% disability in 1989! I fought for 100% disability because I still have not been able to stand or walk and I did not get my 100% disability until 2009! What’s my point have I cried about it did I want everybody to share my pain and grief? No, I did not; I pick myself up dusted myself off. Had five minutes to cry about it and moved on! And that’s what I’ve accomplished since and I’m not asking for a metal or a reward for what I’ve done! It’s about time other people quit whining about their situations and making things difficult for everyone else; you do the best you can and go forward from there! That’s what the military taught me when I went in in 1967 out of high school! I have the military equivalent of three masters and two bachelors degrees and it wasn’t from crying about oh woe is me and not doing anything. It’s about picking yourself up dusting yourself off and going forward and not causing a problem so that our enemies can step in and destroy all we’ve worked for! We’re talking about for freedom! Thank you!
John
May 12, 2025 at 9:47 pm
Buy Chinese jets
Richard Greaves
May 13, 2025 at 3:27 pm
This was obvious to all countries during Trump’s first term. Either buy European or lots and lots of drones.
David Collishaw
May 13, 2025 at 5:40 pm
Everyone saw it coming when they understood it.
Bribery and kickbacks.f35 is a self licking ice cream cone.
You cannot stock enough spares and the airframe ane is only viable for fifteen to twenty Years.
And the fancy electronics mostly work but the stealth never did.
Fletcher
May 15, 2025 at 9:23 pm
The Americans can either give Canada our money back, or we sell the jets to China.
Oh, we aren’t allowed to sell them???
Just like the US isn’t allowed to threaten Canada and violate USMCA.
We will honour our agreements the same way the Americans do.
CANADA FIRST!