Fear of Trump's 'Kill Switch': Can the US Disable F-35 Fighters.

Fear is spreading in Europe after the data on target acquisition for Ukrainian Himars missile launchers was cut off, as concerns arise that Donald Trump could disrupt American weapon systems.

Anxiety is related to the American F-35A fighter jet. Germany plans to receive 35 such aircraft starting in 2026. The total cost of the project amounts to 8.3 billion euros plus several billion for associated infrastructure.

Particular concerns relate to the existence of a 'kill switch' built into the aircraft, which can be activated by the US.

'The shutdown could occur through the mission planning system, then the aircraft would simply remain on the ground,' said Joachim Schrantzhofer, head of the communications group at German defense contractor Hensoldt.

Wolfgang Ischinger, a former diplomat and president of the Munich Security Conference, warns about the possibility of a contract termination regarding F-35 if there are restrictions from the US similar to those currently observed in Ukraine.

Ingo Gedehens, a former military officer and CDU member of the Bundestag, also noted that the multi-billion euro deal must be reconsidered due to Trump's unpredictability.

'If we spend so much money on a system like the F-35, we should have the ability to make decisions about its deployment independently. Can American weapon systems that we bought for our military capability simply be turned off by a decision made by Donald Trump? That must not be allowed, so we need to seriously consider this issue,' he remarked.