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Elon Musk's proposal to replace traditional fighter jets with drones and its implications for US defense
The billionaire Elon Musk, appointed by the president-elect Donald Trump to lead a commission with the mission of cutting federal government spending EUA, made a controversial statement on Monday. Musk suggested that the fighter planes modern, like the iconic F-35, should be replaced by drones military. This statement generated an intense debate about the future of American military aviation, according to oglobo.
Criticism of the F-35: an obsolete machine?
Musk did not hold back in his criticism of F-35, a fighter plane manufactured by Lockheed Martin, considered the jewel of the US Air Force since its operation in 2015. In his X platform, he stated: “Manned fighter aircraft are obsolete in the age of drones. They only serve to kill pilots.” This statement was accompanied by a video showing hundreds of drones flying at various heights, highlighting his vision on the evolution of military technology.
Recently, contracts were signed to export the F-35 to countries like Roménia, Poland e Germany, but Musk and his critics raise questions about its complexity and high cost. For him, the F-35 design is problematic because “They tried to demand too much from him”, resulting in a machine “complex and expensive” without combat specialization.
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The high cost of military aircraft
According to a Mauro Gilli, researcher at Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, which makes it more expensive F-35 are the software and electronic components, not the pilot itself. He explains that a reusable drone would need to incorporate all of the F-35's robust electronics, which would also be costly.
Gilli points out that the existence of aircraft like the F-35 and the B-1 force countries like Russia e China to invest in similar technologies to protect themselves, especially advanced radar systems. “The mere fact that the F-35 and B-1 exist forces Russia and China to make strategic decisions that they would not otherwise have to make,” he says.
Strategic implications of Musk's proposal
While Musk has his convictions, Gilli points out that even if he were correct (which, according to the expert, he is not), eliminating traditional fighter jets could reduce the strategic challenges faced by EUA in relation to its rivals.
A new era for military aviation?
The proposal for Elon Musk raises important questions about the future of military aviation and the viability of drones as substitutes for traditional ones military planes. As the discussion continues, the tension between innovation and cost, as well as the strategic implications, are themes that will certainly remain at the center of attention in upcoming defense discussions in the EUA.
I believe the author meant B2
War can involve strategic, tactical or even localized issues. Musk has little or no experience in strategic and tactical military matters. Hence the unfortunate nature of his statement. Clemenceau stated that “war is too important to be left in the hands of the military alone” but it is important enough not to be left in the hands of laymen.