cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5525782
European nations and Canada are “pushing away” from the F-35, motivated by a desire for “strategic autonomy” and political friction with the Trump administration
Spain officially canceled its F-35 purchase in August 2025, opting for European-built alternatives. Switzerland is now also reviewing its 36-jet deal after being hit with a “shocking” $1.3 billion price hike and new 39% U.S. tariffs, and recent reports suggest that Portugal has not opted to purchase the U.S. jets
Instead of the F-35, they are increasingly looking to European alternatives, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Future Combat Air System (FCAS).
Canada’s 88-jet deal is also in “limbo,” as PM Mark Carney, angered by Trump’s “51st state” comments and trade disputes, ordered a review of the 72 un-committed jets
Technological and industrial sovereignty are significant reasons why some countries are opting not to purchase the F-35. Some European nations prioritize developing their own defense industries and technological bases. Buying American-made F-35s would make them dependent on US supply chains and could suppress the development of their own next-generation aircraft programs. …
I’m going through the accident reports now, and so far the only one blamed on a pilot has been when the pilot ejected at 500mph (or thereabouts) and mulched himself in the air-stream as a result. That seems pretty conclusively to have been his fault, and they haven’t ever blamed it on a technical failure. Otherwise, there’s a couple of maintenance issues, two foreign objects getting sucked into the engine, one time the canopy got stuck… none of these have required any retraining thus far.
Update: Ah, they blamed the pilot for an accident that turned out to have been caused by a flaw in the emergency oxygen system that required a handle redesign. Another pilot error, though not retracted, was that the landing gear was retracted too early during training. The “chafed wire” you mentioned was never blamed on pilot error since the plane data recorder confirmed that the hydraulics were on fire.
More Update: So… Sixteen total crashes. Five of which were writeoffs, the rest repaired. Only one of which appears to have been erroneously blamed on a pilot. None of which required retraining beyond “the handle is shaped different now”.
… Did you actually read these reports before making these claims?
Also, side point, what does this mean? The last B-52 was delivered in 1962, and those have been a mainstay of the USAF for the 63 years since. What does “having enough of the planes with a very niche role” indicate about that plane’s capabilities?
Nah, you made my point much more succinctly. The US (and world) managed to purchase all the f-22s it will ever want or need over a 7 year timespan.
Thanks
So your engagement with the criticism is to… claim a single piece of criticism supports your point, and ignore the rest (which is devastating to both your argument and your credibility). And what you are claiming it supports doesn’t even make sense within your earlier comment.
Convincing!™
Also the F22 was never available for export - no stealth tech is. Trying to present it as rejected by the world is just comically transparent.