Elon Musk, the founding father of SpaceX and Tesla and co-head of the brand new Division of Authorities Effectivity advising President-elect Donald Trump, has as soon as once more criticized the F-35 stealth fighter, endorsing unmanned drones as the way forward for air fight.
Musk took to his social media platform, X, on Sunday, reposting a video of synchronized drone swarms in elaborate formations and including, “In the meantime, some idiots are nonetheless constructing manned fighter jets just like the F-35.”
This isn’t the primary time Musk has expressed skepticism concerning the continued use of manned fighter jets. Again in 2020, Musk declared that the period of conventional fighter jets was coming to an finish, stating that the F-35 ought to have a competitor within the type of an unmanned aerial automobile.
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Musk reiterated his place by responding to a remark from a consumer who mentioned, “Drones are the brand new degree of warfare,” with a “100” emoji.
In the meantime, some idiots are nonetheless constructing manned fighter jets just like the F-35 🗑️ 🫠
pic.twitter.com/4JX27qcxz1— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2024
When requested about competitors, Musk was clear: “I feel competitors is an effective factor. It could appear at instances that we should always focus our efforts on one system reasonably than divide them and have two competing methods. Like, to not trigger controversy, like, for my part, Joint Strike Fighter… There needs to be a competitor to JSF… I do know it’s a controversial topic, however, you realize, it’s not good to have one supplier. It’s good to have competitors the place that competitors is significant and anyone can really lose…”
In a response to a query from Aviation Week reporter Lee Hudson, Musk clarified what sort of competitor he envisioned for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. He said: “The competitor needs to be a drone fighter aircraft that’s distant managed by a human, however with its maneuvers augmented by autonomy. The F-35 would haven’t any probability towards it.”
Musk’s renewed criticism of the F-35 comes at a time when the controversy about the way forward for air fight is intensifying. The F-35, a fifth-generation multirole fighter developed by Lockheed Martin, has confronted its share of criticism for growth delays, price overruns, and questions relating to its fight effectiveness. Nonetheless, it stays a central part of U.S. and allied air forces.
Musk’s advocacy for drone-based warfare aligns with a broader development in army circles towards unmanned methods, that are more and more seen as a method to improve operational capabilities whereas lowering danger to pilots. The idea of remote-controlled drones augmented by synthetic intelligence and autonomous options presents a imaginative and prescient of air fight that diverges sharply from conventional manned fighter jets.
Whereas Musk’s feedback proceed to stir debate, they replicate a rising consensus that unmanned and autonomous methods will play an more and more dominant function in future army operations. His suggestion that the F-35 could be no match for a correctly developed drone competitor underscores the disruptive potential of rising applied sciences in reshaping the way forward for warfare.
The F-35 program, regardless of its criticisms, is presently the spine of many allied air forces, together with america, the UK, and Japan.
