Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and Tesla and co-head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency advising President-elect Donald Trump, has once again criticized the F-35 stealth fighter, stating that its design flaws make it fundamentally unsafe for pilots.
In a post on his social media platform, X, Musk wrote: “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.”
This critique follows Musk’s earlier statements questioning the relevance of manned fighter aircraft in modern warfare.
On Sunday, he reposted a video of synchronized drone swarms flying in elaborate formations, adding, “Meanwhile, some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35.” Musk’s blunt remarks underscore his belief that drone technology is the future of air combat, making traditional manned fighters like the F-35 obsolete.
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… https://t.co/t6EYLWNegI
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 25, 2024
Musk has repeatedly emphasized that unmanned drones, with advanced autonomous capabilities, represent the future of military aviation. In 2020, he argued that the era of manned fighter jets was ending, suggesting that the F-35 needed competition from an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of challenging its effectiveness.
Musk’s criticism comes as the debate about the future of air combat intensifies. The F-35, a fifth-generation multirole fighter developed by Lockheed Martin, has faced challenges, including development delays, cost overruns, and questions regarding its combat performance. Despite this, it remains a key component of the U.S. and allied air forces, including those of the United Kingdom and Japan.
Musk’s advocacy for drone-based warfare aligns with a broader trend in defense that sees unmanned systems as crucial to future operations. Drones, which can undertake high-risk missions without endangering pilots, are increasingly viewed as a way to enhance operational effectiveness while minimizing human risk. Musk’s vision of a drone fighter plane, remotely controlled by a human and enhanced by autonomy, suggests a shift in how air dominance could be achieved in the future.
Despite these criticisms, the F-35 program remains the backbone of many allied air forces. It plays an essential role in providing a common platform for allied operations, and its advanced capabilities, including stealth, sensors, and versatility, are widely recognized.
