Which of Europe’s Weapons Would Turn Into Scrap if US Hits the Kill Switch?
A Royal Air Force F-35 lands at the Farnborough International Air Show in Farnborough, England, Monday, July 22, 2024
Europe’s severe dependence on US weapons means that, were the US to pull the plug on its military cooperation with the EU and UK, the latter would have a serious problem on their hands.F-35 – these warplanes depend on US Autonomic Logistics Information System for maintenance support and software updates.Drones – US-made UAVs employed by European powers, such as the ubiquitous MQ-9 Reaper, depend on US satellite communications and software support.Trident missiles – the UK nuclear option primarily consists of US-made Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles, which regularly undergo maintenance in the United States.US-made Patriot surface-to-air missile systems also depend on US information sharing.Other advanced US weapons integrated with US communication and satellite systems, which could be affected by a potential cessation of US information support, include surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft such as:P-8 PoseidonRC-135V/W Rivet JointE-7 WedgetailProtector UAVs
