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:
