Dutch Secretary of Defense threatens to 'jailbreak' nation's F-35 jet fighters — says it's just like jailbreaking an iPhone, in response to questions over software independence

An F-35 Lightning II flying over snow-capped mountains.

Dutch Secretary of Defense Gijs Tuinman has invoked the possibility of a third party modifying the operating system of the Netherlands’ F-35 Lightning II fighters. The secretary said this during an interview with BNR Nieuwsradio, when the host asked him if the EU can make changes to the jet without approval from the United States. According to Clash Report, Tuinman said that it’s possible to do, but he refused to elaborate further.

BIG: Dutch Defence Minister Gijs Tuinman hints that software independence is possible for F-35 jets. He literally said you can “jailbreak” an F-35. When asked if Europe can modify it without US approval: “That’s not the point… we’ll see whether the Americans will show… pic.twitter.com/f11cGvtYsOFebruary 15, 2026