F-35 nations prize spare parts, as US dismisses kill-switch angst

[rangerrebew]

F-35 nations prize spare parts, as US dismisses kill-switch angst
By Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo
 Apr 15, 2025, 04:59 AM
 
MILAN — Norway became the first F-35 partner nation to fulfill its program of record with the delivery of the last two F-35A airframes this month, marking the completion of the Scandinavian country’s order of 52 aircraft, manufacturer Lockheed Martin said.

The announcement followed the establishment last month of a new F-35 maintenance centre in Rygge, Norway. The sustainment work and future upgrades will be carried out at the new 5,000 square-meter facility by Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services and the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency.


Before this, intermediate-level upkeep for the Norwegian fighter jets was done at the Italian F-35 maintenance hub in Cameri.

The creation of a national facility will allow Norway to gain an independent capacity to perform this work locally, strengthen supply chains, and increase operational availability, a Kongsberg statement said.

Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, concerns have grown in Europe about the extent to which Washington could exercise control over F-35 fleets globally. Such worries spring from a new degree of unpredictability of an ally whose weapons exports have underwritten much of the West’s deterrence architecture for decades.

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/04/15/f-35-nations-prize-spare-parts-as-us-dismisses-kill-switch-angst/

[Smokin Joe]

With the result being that there will be another inventory of parts and maintenance facility that can work on F-35s in Europe. Every country with these air frames should set themselves up similarly. In the event of conflict, having such dispersed across Europe and organic to the respective countries' forces would be strategically advantageous.

(If a little paranoia gets that done, well, great.)

[rangerrebew]

With the result being that there will be another inventory of parts and maintenance facility that can work on F-35s in Europe. Every country with these air frames should set themselves up similarly. In the event of conflict, having such dispersed across Europe and organic to the respective countries' forces would be strategically advantageous.

(If a little paranoia gets that done, well, great.)

It will never happen.  It makes too much sense.