Canada is Worried All Its F-35 Can Be Disabled With a Push of a Button in Washington: How Realistic It is

Defense Express ^ | 3/7/2025 | defense express

[buwaya]

Canada has ordered 88 F-35A fighters for $14.5 billion, and now they are really discussing whether the Pentagon can press a special button and turn all those aircraft into scrap metal if necessary The fear of being left unarmed and defenseless against armed aggression is exactly what the Trumpists have sown among their allies with their latest actions. Canadians, who have repeatedly heard threats from Donald Trump about the "51st U.S. state" and face the tariff war unleashed by Washington, have become anxious about their security.

So, Canadian expert circles have expressed concerns about the ongoing acquisition of American F-35 fifth-generation fighters and to consider whether the government should cancel the deal. A brief reminder: Ottawa ordered 88 F-35As in 2023 for 14.5 billion (hereinafter) US dollars. The Canadian Ministry of Defense also has estimated the F-35's operational costs for a projected 45 years in service at $54 billion.

In an article for The Globe and Mail, Michael Byers, co-director of the Vancouver Outer Space Institute, recalled that the United States holds unilateral control over the source code for F-35's mission programming. In fact, he claimed, the US could simply remotely turn off F-35s' advanced situational awareness capabilities and achieve air superiority, "perhaps with just a few keyboard strokes," Byers notes.

[Thud]

Not. It depends on the degree of hardening. US Milspec on EMP hasn’t changed since the 1960s while EMP attack levels are at least two orders magnitude greater. All our nukes, delivery vehicles, ships electronilcs, power plants, aircraft and vehicles etc., military included, will be bricks when hit by modern EMP warheads.

[Mr. Blond]

Shoulda stuck to Superhornets and Saabs.

[linMcHlp]

The F-35s should be returned with all support material, to the United States of America.

Forthwith.

[GingisK]

EMP intensity falls off with the square of the distance to the source. It is all overrated.

[Thud]

It doesn’t. That’s the problem.

[GingisK]

It doesn’t.

Physics. It does.

[Thud]

EMP is conducted along magnetic lines of force when detonated in the upper atmosphere, and can also now be designed to propagate unidirectionaly.

[GingisK]

It does look like the really big boys detonated 40km above the earth have a fairly bad EMP effect inside an 850 mile diameter spot on the ground. You are right. That does indeed suck.

On the flip side, that would get people's heads out of their phones.

[GingisK]

Thank you for your persistence. I did go do some reading in the meantime. You are right.

I can get along fine without all of this electronics. Few others can.

[Thud]

Not a problem. Our military is a disaster.