It may sound like merely a conspiracy theory, but European governments today are seriously concerned that the weapons in their arsenals – many of which were designed, built, and are often still maintained by defense companies in the United States. The fear is that they may have secret “kill switches” that will deactivate them if attempts are made to use them in a way that Washington opposes.
Such rumors have circulated since the days of the Cold War, but they have taken on new urgency given the Trump administration’s condemnation of Western Europe as well as its peace overtures to Russia and China. This was especially highlighted in Vice President JD Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference last month, where he stated that Europe’s real danger is “the threat from within” rather than Russia or China.
JD Vance and Alice Weidel meet after Vance’s speech in Munich in a major snub to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. https://t.co/DU4ldYGWzG
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 17, 2025
Some European governments were also alarmed when President Donald Trump temporarily withdrew military aid from Kyiv after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued with him during a meeting in the Oval Office last month.
“If they see how Trump is dealing with Zelensky, they should be worried,” executive Mikael Grev of the Swedish artificial intelligence company Avioniq Awareness, which specializes in AI applications for military aircraft, told the Financial Times. “He is throwing him under the bus. The Nordic and Baltic states need to think: will he do the same to us?”
The existence of secret “kill switches” has never been proven, but is definitely possible. Richard Aboulafia of Ann Arbor, Michigan-based aviation consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory said that given that weapons could theoretically be deactivated “with a little bit of software code,” such a possibility “exists.”
Von der Leyen says Europe must strengthen its defense sector, but how? https://t.co/nmkmYXhZ4o
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 4, 2025
The real danger to Europe may not be secret codes, however, but rather the fact that European militaries are heavily dependent on the U.S. for parts and maintenance. Some 55 percent of imported military equipment that was purchased in Europe between 2019 and 2023 came from the U.S., an increase of 35 percent compared to the previous five years. To cite just one example, more than half of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft – those that are state-of-the-art – currently in service across Europe were made in the U.S.
All of these American-made weapons depend on an uninterrupted supply of spare parts, ammunition, and software updates from the U.S. in order to continue functioning. Some more sophisticated equipment is also routinely sent back to the U.S. for maintenance.
Besides this, Europe’s armed forces are totally reliant on US support in terms of communications and electronic warfare, as well as for intelligence, surveillance, software, and reconnaissance.
German CEO of defense firm Rheinmetall absolutely trashes Europe trying to involve itself in the Ukraine peace talks, saying: “If parents have dinner, the kids have to sit at another table”.https://t.co/xLIojVJfWN
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 18, 2025
A split in the Europe-U.S. military alliance, which has been the bedrock of global security for the past 80 years, seemed unthinkable until only a few months ago. Given the new geopolitical realities that Europe is now facing from both a renewed threat in Moscow and uncertainty over Washington’s commitments, European politicians are likely to begin reevaluating this dependency.
Just one example of the new problems confronting Europe as a result of this shift is the threat Trump has made to annex the Danish territory of Greenland – by force, if necessary. Denmark has said that it will prepare the island to defend itself from a possible U.S. attack by strengthening the Danish air force’s presence there.
Given that the Royal Danish Air Force flies American-made F-35 fighters, however, it may be difficult for Denmark to deploy them against U.S. forces in the event of a conflict. Even if there are no “kill switches” in them, if U.S. defense contractors stopped providing maintenance and software updates, the aircraft wouldn’t keep flying for long.
Even those advanced fighter aircraft that were designed and built domestically in Europe depend on secure communications systems and GPS navigation provided by the U.S.
Right before hitting Ukraine with an ICBM, Russia warned that one Polish town is on a list of nuclear targets. https://t.co/altC2O0vT1
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) November 21, 2024
Perhaps the most critical question facing a Europe contemplating a world without American support is that of the United Kingdom’s nuclear weapons. Since the early days of the Cold War, all European countries that are members of NATO have been under the U.S.’ “nuclear umbrella,” meaning that Washington has pledged to defend them from attack by every means, up to and including the use of nuclear weapons.
It has always been believed that this threat of “mutually assured destruction” has deterred Europe’s adversaries, and Russia in particular, from contemplating attacks on Europe. While this has not happened yet, if the U.S. were to withdraw its nuclear protection, Europe would suddenly find itself more vulnerable to foreign attack than it has been at any time since World War II.
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 6, 2025
This may be the first step towards a nuclear-armed Germany.
Spiegel Magazine is one of the mouthpieces of the Berlin establishment.
Germany first ditched nuclear energy but may soon embrace nuclear weapons. pic.twitter.com/X8dtHRXtx2
The only two European countries with their own nuclear arsenals are the U.K. and France. France has already offered to extend its own “nuclear umbrella” to Germany, although Berlin has yet to make a decision regarding this proposal. France’s arsenal is relatively small, however: It is believed to possess only about 300 nuclear warheads, far fewer than the nearly 6,000 that Russia is estimated to have.
The U.K. could bolster this capability by offering to extend its own “nuclear umbrella” over continental Europe. The problem is that all of the country’s nuclear missiles, which are deployed aboard submarines, were designed and built in the U.S. Apart from the possibility of existing “kill switches,” the missiles are routinely sent back to a facility in King’s Bay, Georgia, for maintenance – and thus could not continue operating indefinitely without U.S. support.
One former Polish general believes Poland needs to start a nuclear weapons program. https://t.co/b13fKzaG18
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 26, 2025
Although European politicians are beginning to contemplate the possibility of a world where they can no longer count on America as a result of the statements coming from American politicians, nothing has changed in their relationship as of yet. This was confirmed by Joachim Finkielman, who is the director of DI Danish Defence and Security Industries, an association that represents the interests of those Danish companies that work in the defense sector.
“There is a lot of uneasiness about what’s going to happen,” he said to the Financial Times, “but up until now we haven’t felt any changes in the relationship with the US.”
Finkielman also pointed out that while European militaries are heavily reliant on U.S. support, it is also the case that U.S. defense companies in some cases rely on parts made in Denmark, including for the F-35 fighter. Thus, this dependency isn’t entirely one-sided.
BREAKING: The CDU/CSU, the SPD, and the Greens have agreed to suspend the debt brake to take on massive debt for infrastructure and defense.
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 14, 2025
The details of the package have not yet been released but defense and infrastructure stocks are already soaring. pic.twitter.com/GeeQcYYgFg
It remains to be seen if this apparent political parting of ways between the U.S. and Europe will end up being seen as only a bump in the road or a lasting break. The real loser may end up being the American defense industry, given that it has been Europe’s trust in unwavering U.S. support that brought about its willing reliance on American-made weaponry in the first place.
It may already be too late to stop this from happening, however, given that sales of American weapons have dropped while those of European-made armaments have soared since Trump took office in January.
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 13, 2025
Italy's defense minister admits: “Trump reminded us very harshly that our nations must participate in their defense. So Europe has decided, all of us have decided to invest more." pic.twitter.com/z1krG66E3l
It may sound like merely a conspiracy theory, but European governments today are seriously concerned that the weapons in their arsenals – many of which were designed, built, and are often still maintained by defense companies in the United States. The fear is that they may have secret “kill switches” that will deactivate them if attempts are made to use them in a way that Washington opposes.
Such rumors have circulated since the days of the Cold War, but they have taken on new urgency given the Trump administration’s condemnation of Western Europe as well as its peace overtures to Russia and China. This was especially highlighted in Vice President JD Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference last month, where he stated that Europe’s real danger is “the threat from within” rather than Russia or China.
JD Vance and Alice Weidel meet after Vance’s speech in Munich in a major snub to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. https://t.co/DU4ldYGWzG
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 17, 2025
Some European governments were also alarmed when President Donald Trump temporarily withdrew military aid from Kyiv after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued with him during a meeting in the Oval Office last month.
“If they see how Trump is dealing with Zelensky, they should be worried,” executive Mikael Grev of the Swedish artificial intelligence company Avioniq Awareness, which specializes in AI applications for military aircraft, told the Financial Times. “He is throwing him under the bus. The Nordic and Baltic states need to think: will he do the same to us?”
The existence of secret “kill switches” has never been proven, but is definitely possible. Richard Aboulafia of Ann Arbor, Michigan-based aviation consulting firm AeroDynamic Advisory said that given that weapons could theoretically be deactivated “with a little bit of software code,” such a possibility “exists.”
Von der Leyen says Europe must strengthen its defense sector, but how? https://t.co/nmkmYXhZ4o
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 4, 2025
The real danger to Europe may not be secret codes, however, but rather the fact that European militaries are heavily dependent on the U.S. for parts and maintenance. Some 55 percent of imported military equipment that was purchased in Europe between 2019 and 2023 came from the U.S., an increase of 35 percent compared to the previous five years. To cite just one example, more than half of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft – those that are state-of-the-art – currently in service across Europe were made in the U.S.
All of these American-made weapons depend on an uninterrupted supply of spare parts, ammunition, and software updates from the U.S. in order to continue functioning. Some more sophisticated equipment is also routinely sent back to the U.S. for maintenance.
Besides this, Europe’s armed forces are totally reliant on US support in terms of communications and electronic warfare, as well as for intelligence, surveillance, software, and reconnaissance.
German CEO of defense firm Rheinmetall absolutely trashes Europe trying to involve itself in the Ukraine peace talks, saying: “If parents have dinner, the kids have to sit at another table”.https://t.co/xLIojVJfWN
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 18, 2025
A split in the Europe-U.S. military alliance, which has been the bedrock of global security for the past 80 years, seemed unthinkable until only a few months ago. Given the new geopolitical realities that Europe is now facing from both a renewed threat in Moscow and uncertainty over Washington’s commitments, European politicians are likely to begin reevaluating this dependency.
Just one example of the new problems confronting Europe as a result of this shift is the threat Trump has made to annex the Danish territory of Greenland – by force, if necessary. Denmark has said that it will prepare the island to defend itself from a possible U.S. attack by strengthening the Danish air force’s presence there.
Given that the Royal Danish Air Force flies American-made F-35 fighters, however, it may be difficult for Denmark to deploy them against U.S. forces in the event of a conflict. Even if there are no “kill switches” in them, if U.S. defense contractors stopped providing maintenance and software updates, the aircraft wouldn’t keep flying for long.
Even those advanced fighter aircraft that were designed and built domestically in Europe depend on secure communications systems and GPS navigation provided by the U.S.
Right before hitting Ukraine with an ICBM, Russia warned that one Polish town is on a list of nuclear targets. https://t.co/altC2O0vT1
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) November 21, 2024
Perhaps the most critical question facing a Europe contemplating a world without American support is that of the United Kingdom’s nuclear weapons. Since the early days of the Cold War, all European countries that are members of NATO have been under the U.S.’ “nuclear umbrella,” meaning that Washington has pledged to defend them from attack by every means, up to and including the use of nuclear weapons.
It has always been believed that this threat of “mutually assured destruction” has deterred Europe’s adversaries, and Russia in particular, from contemplating attacks on Europe. While this has not happened yet, if the U.S. were to withdraw its nuclear protection, Europe would suddenly find itself more vulnerable to foreign attack than it has been at any time since World War II.
Spiegel Magazine is one of the mouthpieces of the Berlin establishment.
Germany first ditched nuclear energy but may soon embrace nuclear weapons. pic.twitter.com/X8dtHRXtx2
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 6, 2025
The only two European countries with their own nuclear arsenals are the U.K. and France. France has already offered to extend its own “nuclear umbrella” to Germany, although Berlin has yet to make a decision regarding this proposal. France’s arsenal is relatively small, however: It is believed to possess only about 300 nuclear warheads, far fewer than the nearly 6,000 that Russia is estimated to have.
The U.K. could bolster this capability by offering to extend its own “nuclear umbrella” over continental Europe. The problem is that all of the country’s nuclear missiles, which are deployed aboard submarines, were designed and built in the U.S. Apart from the possibility of existing “kill switches,” the missiles are routinely sent back to a facility in King’s Bay, Georgia, for maintenance – and thus could not continue operating indefinitely without U.S. support.
One former Polish general believes Poland needs to start a nuclear weapons program. https://t.co/b13fKzaG18
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 26, 2025
Although European politicians are beginning to contemplate the possibility of a world where they can no longer count on America as a result of the statements coming from American politicians, nothing has changed in their relationship as of yet. This was confirmed by Joachim Finkielman, who is the director of DI Danish Defence and Security Industries, an association that represents the interests of those Danish companies that work in the defense sector.
“There is a lot of uneasiness about what’s going to happen,” he said to the Financial Times, “but up until now we haven’t felt any changes in the relationship with the US.”
Finkielman also pointed out that while European militaries are heavily reliant on U.S. support, it is also the case that U.S. defense companies in some cases rely on parts made in Denmark, including for the F-35 fighter. Thus, this dependency isn’t entirely one-sided.
BREAKING: The CDU/CSU, the SPD, and the Greens have agreed to suspend the debt brake to take on massive debt for infrastructure and defense.
The details of the package have not yet been released but defense and infrastructure stocks are already soaring. pic.twitter.com/GeeQcYYgFg
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 14, 2025
It remains to be seen if this apparent political parting of ways between the U.S. and Europe will end up being seen as only a bump in the road or a lasting break. The real loser may end up being the American defense industry, given that it has been Europe’s trust in unwavering U.S. support that brought about its willing reliance on American-made weaponry in the first place.
It may already be too late to stop this from happening, however, given that sales of American weapons have dropped while those of European-made armaments have soared since Trump took office in January.
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) March 13, 2025
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