Elon Musk targets F-35 program, calls fighter jets ‘obsolete’

IN A MOVE THAT COULD SHAKE UP U-S DEFENSE SPENDING, ELON MUSK IS TARGETING THE MILITARY’S MOST EXPENSIVE WEAPONS PROGRAM… THE F-35 FIGHTER JET… CALLING IT, “THE WORST MILITARY VALUE FOR MONEY IN HISTORY.” AS HEAD OF THE PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP’S NEW DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY, MUSK IS AIMING TO SLASH $2 TRILLION IN FEDERAL SPENDING, AND DEFENSE CONTRACTORS APPEAR TO BE IN HIS CROSSHAIRS.

IN A POST ON X… MUSK ARGUED THAT MANNED FIGHTER JETS ARE OUTDATED, INEFFICIENT, AND DANGEROUS IN MODERN WARFARE… SAYING DRONES ARE THE FUTURE.

MUSK POSTED A VIDEO SHOWING A SWARM OF DRONES IN ACTION, COMMENTING, “MEANWHILE, SOME IDIOTS ARE STILL BUILDING MANNED FIGHTER JETS LIKE THE F-35.”

HE WENT ON TO SAY:

“THE F-35 DESIGN WAS BROKEN AT THE REQUIREMENTS LEVEL, BECAUSE IT WAS REQUIRED TO BE TOO MANY THINGS TO TOO MANY PEOPLE. THIS MADE IT AN EXPENSIVE & COMPLEX JACK OF ALL TRADES, MASTER OF NONE. SUCCESS WAS NEVER IN THE SET OF POSSIBLE OUTCOMES. AND MANNED FIGHTER JETS ARE OBSOLETE IN THE AGE OF DRONES ANYWAY. WILL JUST GET PILOTS KILLED.”

THE F-35 PROGRAM HAS LONG FACED CRITICISM OVER EFFICIENCY. IT’S $180 BILLION OVER BUDGET, MORE THAN A DECADE BEHIND SCHEDULE, AND STRUGGLES WITH RELIABILITY, ACCORDING TO GOVERNMENT REPORTS. YET, OVER A THOUSAND F-35’S HAVE BEEN DELIVERED, AND IN TRAINING SIMULATIONS, THEY’VE ACHIEVED A 20-TO-1 KILL RATIO AGAINST ENEMY AIRCRAFT. STILL… THE PROGRAM IS EXPECTED TO TOP A STAGGERING $1 TRILLION IN TOTAL COSTS.

FOR COMPARISON, AN F-35 COSTS ANYWHERE FROM $80 MILLION TO $135 MILLION PER JET DEPENDING ON MODEL, WHILE SMALL DRONES… LIKE THE ONES BEING MASS-PRODUCED IN UKRAINE… COST AS LITTLE AS 10-THOUSAND. DRONES CAN OPERATE IN SWARMS, GUIDED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND DON’T PUT PILOTS’ LIVES AT RISK. THE U-S PROGRAM CURRENTLY RELIES ON EXPENSIVE PREDATOR DRONES COSTING ABOUT $12 MILLION… BUT MUCH CHEAPER DRONES ARE BEING MADE BY TURKEY, IRAN AND CHINA. EVEN ON THE HIGHER END… UKRAINE’S NEWLY DEVELOPED PALIANYTSIA MISSILE-DRONE COSTS LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS.

WHILE MUSK’S COMMENTS LED TO A 3-PERCENT DROP IN LOCKHEED MARTIN’S STOCK PRICE, SOME EXPERTS ARGUE THE F-35 IS TOO BIG TO FAIL.

IN 2021… AIR FORCE CHIEF OF STAFF GENERAL CHARLES BROWN JR STATED THE F-35 WAS NOWHERE NEAR A FAILURE… SAYING:

“THE F-35 IS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR TACTICAL AIRCRAFT CAPABILITY.”

BUT IT’S WORTH NOTING THIS STATEMENT WAS A CLARIFICATION TO BROWN’S PREVIOUS STATEMENT INDICATING THE F-35 HAS A MORE NARROW RANGE OF ABILITIES ON THE MODERN BATTLEFIELD, SAYING:

“IT’S LIKE YOUR FERRARI. YOU DON’T DRIVE YOUR FERRARI TO WORK EVERY DAY. YOU ONLY DRIVE IT ON SUNDAYS”

MEANWHILE, COMPANIES LIKE ANDURIL, SHIELD A-I AND PALANTIR… LEADERS IN DRONE AND A-I TECHNOLOGY… STAND TO BENEFIT FROM A SHIFT IN PENTAGON PRIORITIES.

WHETHER MUSK CAN STEER U.S. DEFENSE SPENDING IN A NEW DIRECTION REMAINS TO BE SEEN. BUT WITH 840-BILLION ALREADY ALLOCATED TO THE MILITARY IN THE 2024 BUDGET, THE STAKES ARE ENORMOUS… NOT JUST FOR NATIONAL SECURITY, BUT FOR THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY ITSELF.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M KARAH RUCKER.