Elon Musk might own X (formerly Twitter), but he uses the app more like a journal full of chicken scratch than the massive platform it is. That means a lot of people spend a lot of time debunking the information he posts, such as his recent claims about the F-35.
In late November, Musk reported a compilation of drone videos that showed just how far the technology is advancing. There are clips that show drones putting on elaborate light shows and even swarming in what appears to be a military drill. This led Musk to say that he feels companies still developing fighter jets are wasting their time. “Meanwhile, some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35,” he wrote.
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Well, the post got back to the CEO and chairman of Lockheed Martin, which designs all the variations of the F-35, James Taiclet, and he took the high road, saying that while drones have a place in the future of aerial warfare, it’s a good time to pump the breaks and really think about how they’ll be used.
“Drones are absolutely going to be part of the future of the air dominance app or the air dominance mission, but we have to methodically step through where we are at times zero, what aircraft do we have today, what command and control systems we have today, what missiles do we have today, what does the potential adversary have and how are they using it, and step forward and bringing in that technology,” he said. “I’m pretty sure that a $25,000 drone will have no effect on a Chinese J-20 jet.”
Despite one of the leading experts in the subject taking Musk to task, the Tesla founder’s supporters refuse to stop fighting the “good” fight. They continue to spread information that even Musk’s app deems inaccurate and hide behind their idol’s beliefs. Some of them are even coming after memes making the rounds that poke fun at how Musk wants to do away with a vehicle that some people consider the “coolest thing ever.”
The worst of it, though, might be the supporters who are attacking people just disagreeing with Musk’s opinion. A popular YouTuber, LazerPig, made a video titled “Elon Musk is wrong about the F-35,” and the comments are full of hateful messages. It’s led to LazerPig’s fans calling out the “Muskrats,” leading to even more arguments.
Outside of all of the name-calling and yelling, there is surely a nuanced conversation about how drones will change the military landscape in the coming years and what that means for fighters like the F-35. However, since Musk is at the center of the discussion, there’s no room for that, especially since a lot of the back and forth is happening on a platform he refuses to police.
Published: Dec 12, 2024 09:32 am