Elon Musk, who serves as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has once again criticized the US F-35 fighter jet program. He repeated his statements that the aircraft are not combat-ready and remain vulnerable in modern combat conditions, writes Defense Blog.
In his repost, Elon Musk supplemented the statement of American conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who called the F-35 program "a multi-billion dollar betrayal of American taxpayers and our national security."
The post claimed that Lockheed Martin was supplying aircraft "that are simply not combat-ready," citing problems with radar systems, lack of progress in operational testing, and more.
"This should be getting way more attention & scrutiny than it currently is," Laura Loomer said.
According to Defense Blog, she also mentioned reports from Inside Defense and Air & Space Forces Magazine that indicate a "lack of progress" in software development or critical systems needed to keep the aircraft fully operational.
Elon Musk added harsh criticism and stated that "crewed aircraft will be destroyed instantly by cheap drone swarms."
It was previously reported that Lockheed Martin intends to modernize its fifth-generation F-35 fighter. The company thus seeks to compete with Boeing's new F-47, a sixth-generation fighter that the United States plans to purchase as part of the Next Generation Air Dominance program.