Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who can also be cohead of the brand new Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) that’s advising President-elect Donald Trump, known as out the F-35 stealth fighter on Sunday whereas endorsing drones over jets piloted by people.
On his social media platform, X, he reposted a video of synchronized drone swarms flying in elaborate formations and added, “In the meantime, some idiots are nonetheless constructing manned fighter jets just like the F-35.”
And beneath a remark from a consumer who mentioned, “Drones are the brand new degree of warfare,” Musk replied with the “100” emoji, which signifies robust help.
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
In subsequent posts on Sunday, Musk mentioned the F-35 has a “s–t design,” claimed drones are extra environment friendly than manned jets at delivering munitions, and downplayed the effectiveness of stealth expertise.
The Protection Division stood by the F-35 and famous its broad attain.
“We’ve got combat-capable plane in operation in the present day, and so they carry out exceptionally effectively in opposition to the menace for which they have been designed. Pilots regularly emphasize that that is the fighter they wish to take to battle if known as upon,” a spokesman for the Pentagon’s F-35 joint program workplace mentioned. “The air system’s worldwide footprint amplifies the platform’s advantages, and it’s the plane of alternative for companions and allies. This system consists of the U.S. companies, seven worldwide companions, and 12 overseas army gross sales clients, and FMS curiosity within the platform continues to develop. Within the subsequent 10 years, there might be 700 F-35s in Europe, and solely 60 of those will belong to the U.S.”
Lockheed Martin, which is the prime contractor, mentioned the corporate will work with the brand new administration and backed the F-35’s capabilities.
“As we did in his first time period, we look ahead to a robust working relationship with President Trump, his crew, and in addition with the brand new Congress to strengthen our nationwide protection,” an organization spokesperson mentioned in a press release. “The F-35 is essentially the most superior, survivable, and related fighter plane on the earth, a significant deterrent and the cornerstone of joint all-domain operations.”
Lockheed shares closed down 3.75% on Monday, and Northrop Grumman, a high F-35 subcontractor, retreated 2.3%. RTX, whose Pratt & Whitney unit makes the jet’s engines, dipped 1.8%.
Musk’s critique sparked vigorous debate on-line in regards to the F-35. On Monday, he doubled down with one other publish, alluding to its conception as a multi-role fighter that serves totally different branches of the army.
“The F-35 design was damaged on the necessities degree, as a result of it was required to be too many issues to too many individuals,” he wrote. “This made it an costly and complicated jack-of-all-trades, grasp of none. Success was by no means within the set of doable outcomes. And manned fighter jets are out of date within the age of drones anyway. Will simply get pilots killed.”
To make certain, the Pentagon has been flying a variety of drones for many years, together with for surveillance missions and air strikes. And an idea for a future next-generation air dominance program consists of a mixture of manned and unmanned fighters.
However Silicon Valley protection startups like Anduril are additionally creating drones whereas seeking to change how the Pentagon develops and buys weapons. In actual fact, Anduril’s government chairman has reportedly consulted with Trump and his crew about revamping the army and is even within the operating to be deputy protection secretary.
In the meantime, a whole lot of F-35s are already in use within the U.S. army and amongst high allies around the globe. Over its manufacturing cycle, the Pentagon plans to purchase about 2,400 F-35s for the Air Pressure, Navy, and Marine Corps, to switch getting older, non-stealth fighters.
The Pentagon first awarded Lockheed the contract in 2001, however this system has been a perennial punching bag owing to value overruns, delays, and its huge price ticket.
After together with the bills to develop, manufacture, function, and preserve its eventual fleet of F-35s over the fighter’s complete service life, which might lengthen into 2088, the Protection Division estimates that the F-35 will value $1.8 trillion, making it the Pentagon’s costliest weapons program.
A lately declassified report from the Protection Division’s weapons testing chief discovered that the F-35’s reliability, maintainability, and availability are “beneath service expectations.” In response to that report, Lockheed has mentioned the F-35 “persistently meets or exceeds the reliability efficiency necessities we’re contracted to ship.”
In a Wall Road Journal op-ed Wednesday laying out DOGE’s agenda, Musk and fellow cohead Vivek Ramaswamy didn’t spotlight any weapons packages however famous the Pentagon lately failed a seventh consecutive audit, “suggesting that the company’s management has little concept how its annual finances of greater than $800 billion is spent.”
Any adjustments to the protection finances and weapons procurement finally should undergo Congress, and F-35 manufacturing is unfold throughout numerous districts and subcontractors.
