[fl7305]

> See the recent deals where it’s been used as a political bargaining chip; it still ended up being a very desirable and capable platform from my understanding.

From a european perspective, I can tell you that the mood has shifted 180 degrees from "buy American fighters to solidify our ties with the US" to "can't rely on the US for anything which we'll need when the war comes".

[hu3]

that has nothing to do with the F-35.

Europe is wise and capable enough to develop their own platform.

[simonask]

While there are several comparable European alternatives, many countries put their bets on the F-35 a long time ago. It is very much a part of this discussion.

I’m from one of those countries, and I can assure you a lot of people would now have preferred that we went with an EU competitor instead.