Dutch defense chief: F-35s can be jailbroken like iPhones

""The F-35 is truly a shared product," Tuinman told BNR's Boekestijn en De Wijk show (translated from Dutch). "The British make the Rolls-Royce engines, and the Americans simply need them too. And even if this mutual dependency doesn't result in software updates, the F-35, in its current state, is still a better aircraft than other types of fighters." "If you still want to upgrade despite everything, I'm going to say something I should never say, but I will anyway: you can jailbreak an F-35 just like an iPhone.""

"The Register contacted the aerospace engineering company for its take on Tuinman's words, but it referred us to the US government, which did not immediately reply. One person who has experience in tinkering with aircraft tech is Ken Munro, whose company Pen Test Partners has poked under the hood of commercial planes many times."

F-35 software can be jailbroken like consumer devices, potentially enabling European operators to modify or maintain aircraft software independently of Lockheed Martin or US permission. The aircraft integrates components from multiple nations, including British Rolls-Royce engines, creating mutual industrial dependencies. Even without independent software updates, performance remains superior to many other fighter types. Lockheed Martin referred inquiries to the US government, which did not immediately reply. Security researchers note that unlike widely available consumer devices, fighter jets are inaccessible for public research, and lack of physical access makes public discovery of any jailbreak highly unlikely.

Read at Theregister