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Elon Musk advocates replacing fighter jets with drones. Billionaire claims F-35 fighter jets are outdated and highly expensive. US government has already spent billions of dollars on drones budget with templates.
Elon Musk's statements have always attracted media attention, however, now that the billionaire businessman will have a position in Donald Trump government, his statements may indicate more than just personal opinions, suggesting paths to be taken by the White House starting next year. Now, Elon Musk advocates replacing F-35 fighters with drones.
Elon Musk's criticism of the F-35 fighter jets
Nominated by Donald Trump to lead a commission aimed at reducing government spending, Musk directly criticized the F-35, the US Air Force's cutting-edge fighter jet, saying the planes are outdated in the drone era.
On his X platform, last Monday (25), Elon Musk defends replacing fighters with drones and claims that manned combat aircraft are nothing more than relics of the past and put the lives of pilots at risk unnecessarily.
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Billionaire Elon Musk has criticized the F-35, considered one of the most advanced fighters in the US Air Force. He argued that the aircraft's design is flawed because it tries to meet too many demands on a single project, resulting in an expensive and inefficient machine.
His provocative opinion was accompanied by an addiction showing hundreds of drones performing coordinated maneuvers just a few meters above the ground, emphasizing the technological superiority of unmanned systems.
Elon Musk advocates replacing fighter jets with drones and Donald Trump, future president of the United States, has also expressed criticism of the F-35, highlighting the high costs of developing and maintaining the aircraft. He suggested that the government should seek more economical and efficient alternatives for the country's air defense.
Why is the F-35 fighter criticized by Musk so expensive?
Since its introduction in 2015, the F-35 has been a staple of American military aviation, but not without controversy. Export contracts for the fifth-generation stealth fighter have recently been signed with Romania, Poland and Germany, expanding its global presence. However, Elon Musk has advocated replacing fighter jets with drones, and critics point to the complexity and high costs involved as significant barriers.
Mauro Gilli, a researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, pointed out that the real factor that makes the F-35 more expensive is its software and electronic components, not the fact that it is manned. According to Gilli, a reusable drone would need the same robust and advanced technologies that the F-35 has, keeping the cost high.
US government has already spent $180 billion over budget on the F-35
Elon Musk's statements seem to have a clear purpose. He will be responsible for cutting expenses considered unnecessary and the F-35 development program may be one of the businessman's first targets.
The project commissioned by the US government is estimated to be at least a decade behind schedule due to several technical flaws. In addition, US$180 billion has already been spent above the budget predicted by the White House.
Still, the US government chose to keep working on it because it felt it was too big an investment to simply abandon. To date, just over 35 F-35s have been delivered and are in use by the country. Training exercises and simulations suggest the F-20 is highly capable, with one report claiming that in realistic test scenarios it shot down enemy aircraft at a rate of 1 to XNUMX.
Despite the good results on the battlefield, perhaps the vision of White House has changed as Elon Musk advocates replacing fighter jets with drones. If Musk's idea prevails, we will likely see a U.S. fleet made up of more drones and fewer fighter jets.
Wonderful and proud. But…where are the Gripens?
No, he wants the government to adopt Neuralink and his company to have priority in commanding these ships, simple as that. He uses drones, Starlik providing internet and connection and there is his American hegemonic plan for global domination.