28.04.2025 13:50
Senior advisor to President Donald Trump, billionaire businessman Elon Musk, reacted to the cost of the F-35s produced by the American defense company Lockheed Martin, stating, "Manned aircraft will be instantly destroyed by cheap drone swarms."
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Elon Musk has once again brought attention to the criticisms of the U.S. military's F-35 fighter jet program. Musk shared a post on his X social media account, which stated that "the F-35 fighter jets produced by Lockheed Martin have not shown improvement in timing and mission readiness in 2024."
In response to the post, which criticized the billions of dollars spent on the aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin, Musk replied, "Manned aircraft will be instantly destroyed by cheap drone swarms."
"A NON-EXPERT VEHICLE"
Musk stated that the design of the F-35s produced by Lockheed Martin in November 2024 is based on a faulty foundation due to "misidentification of needs and objectives," which has made the aircraft "expensive, complex, and a vehicle that plays every tune but is an expert in none."
"FIGHTER JETS ARE OUTDATED"
Elon Musk remarked, "Manned fighter jets are already outdated in the drone age. They will only lead to the death of pilots."
RELIABILITY AND MAINTENANCE ISSUES
In the annual report published in January by the U.S. Operational Test and Evaluation Directorate, it was stated that the F-35 fighter jets did not show improvement in timing and mission readiness in 2024.
Furthermore, the agency's report for 2024 noted that the F-35 aircraft faced some challenges in reliability, maintenance, and availability in 2023, achieving only 51% performance, which is below the targeted 65% mission readiness rate.
PENTAGON DEFENDED THE F-35
Lockheed Martin stated in a press release that the F-35 is the world's most advanced fighter jet due to its advanced stealth technology, sensors, and weapon integration. The company noted that the aircraft "offers a unique capability to deter and defeat threats."
The Pentagon emphasized that despite the program's cost overruns (approximately $1.7 trillion as of April 2025) and technical delays, the F-35 continues to meet the needs of the U.S. and allied air forces.
As one of the most expensive weapon programs in U.S. history, the F-35 continues to be a core component of American air power. However, Musk's recent comments indicate that the role of the program in future conflicts is still being debated.
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