Calls grow on social media for Europe to cancel orders F-35

Since President Donald Trump announced a wave of tariffs on goods imported from Canada, China and Mexico, he has called on social media in those countries to boycott a range of US products. This week also without posts in Canada and throughout Europe that demanded that orders be canceled for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, fifth-generation stolen fighter who has been widely approved by most NATO members.

Although public calls for social media boycots continue to be commonplace, and rarely result in a few more than a few days for bad, this is just the latest impetus that requires Western nations to withdraw from the acquisition of high -cost fighter.

Already, more than 1100 are now in service all over the world, and Lockheed Martin has provided orders that will not be met until the early 2030s or later. US partners are unlikely to leave the deal, at least as long as the US remains engaged to NATO. However, this recent reaction to the Warrior is a reminder that there is a growing anti-EBA feeling throughout Europe and Canada, and it is being reinforced by social media.

Calls of boycotting also directed by anti-Israeli feeling

Although Trump’s fees, as well as his public consequences with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky after last Friday meeting at the Oval office, was the latest catalyst for the social media campaign against F-35, he follows another similar cry last year.

Throughout 2024, the F-35 was already in the chairs of its vocal critics due to Israel’s supply, and employed by Israeli air force in strikes in Hamas’ positions in Gaza.

“Calling for the cancellation of sales confuse me,” said Dr. Matthew Schmidt, Professor of National Security and Political Science at the Criminal Justice College Henry C. Lee and forensic sciences at the University of New Haven.

“Concerns about human rights abuses are true, and I am concerned about them. But to put guilt in the air frame and not the government’s decisions on how to use it seems wrong. Not only because F-35 is much more accurate in placing weapons on targets than any other flying planes,” Schmidt added.

He also noted that calls from supporters of the Palestinian people are trying to blame what is essentially just a means. F-35 can simply be just an easy target among users on social media.

“A sharper knife does not make you more likely to kill someone than a deaf. “So yes, it can do great damage, but if you want to avoid civilian casualties, you will have much more an F-35 by making precise strikes than an F-16 with a JDAM or common ammunition of direct attack.”

Social media and boycotts – loudly but effective?

The last wave of calls for a boycott is not so directly linked to a humanitarian situation – beyond the US announcement this week that it had stopped military aid to Ukraine – but on the contrary they are based on the role America could play in NATO, and many in the above tariffs. Trump pledged during his address in Congress on Tuesday that further tariffs would be presented on April 2.

Following this announcement, the plane has been in the internet trend for all the wrong reasons, and not for the first time in 2025. It was less than two months ago that one of the F-35A Air Force Flays crashed into a training flight to Alaska. Although the pilot was able to successfully bring out and suffered only minor injuries, the videos of the aircraft that crashed to the ground quickly went viral on social media. This was likely not to be the type of press that the airspace and defensive giant wanted to respond, which also followed the criticism of Elon Musk’s technology entrepreneur for the aircraft at the end of last year.

Overall, this latest wave of boycott calls on social media may be sufficient that the airspace and protective giant will have to monitor the situation closely.

“While politicians and other government officials follow the fraud of social media, it is so noisy that there is not much evidence that these kinds of social media campaigns lead to those who hear,” said Dr. Cliff Lampe, a professor of information and dean associated at the information school at the University of Michigan.

“If calls for boycotts do not become extremely biased and are poured into other forms of action, they are unlikely to lead to any changes,” Lamp added. “However, a constant call for a social media action can provide an excuse for a decision that politicians would already make.”

F-35 has met and overcome strong political opposition in the past, while the aircraft of all weather has also done it through previous social media storms-but not only because its supporters cite its advanced skills. The aircraft can be extremely costly, and it may take years for orders to be completed, but it is a program that can be described as very weak because of its size.

“Lockheed Martin is probably monitoring the cancellation sales campaign, but given the global environment and the need for countries to match competitors with a fifth-generation air frame, the F-35 has the market in the corner,” Schmidt said. “There is not just any other fifth -generation plane having a mature production and sales pipeline.”