The site quote Mahathir statement from Aljazeera and so we should find the original article from Aljazeera to prove the content, but the notion saying that US fighter buyer cannot get source code is possibly true since even USA doesnt give source code of F35 to his close partner in F35 program either. It is important for upgrade and (possibly) changing and controling IFF instrument.
The importance thing to discuss is whether source code is really crucial for attacking role of the aircraft into the extend it can possibly prevent the user to launch the missile to, lets say, another US made fighters if they dont know the source code. I am not an expert on this so we need this discussion further whether the unknowing of the source code can limit attack capability of the aircraft.
Alman Helvas also has brought this problem to surface although it is not clear whether he actually get the information from source in his Air force contact or maybe he just read the same article we are reading now. He needs to clarify this ASAP since as defense journalist who was once working in Jane Defense he should have extensive insider from our Airforce people and broad international friends and contact who understand the detail.
U.S. to withhold F-35 fighter software code
Jim Wolf
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will keep to itself sensitive software code that controls Lockheed Martin Corp’s new radar-evading F-35 fighter jet despite requests from partner countries, a senior Pentagon program official said.
Access to the technology had been publicly sought by Britain, which had threatened to scrub plans to buy as many as 138 F-35s if it were unable to maintain and upgrade its fleet without U.S. involvement.
No other country is getting the so-called source code, the key to the plane’s electronic brains, Jon Schreiber, who heads the program’s international affairs, told Reuters in an interview Monday.
“That includes everybody,” he said, acknowledging this was not overly popular among the eight that have co-financed F-35 development — Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...5-fighter-software-code-idUSTRE5AO01F20091125