New fighters for Poland? Elon Musk warns

Elon Musk, who will soon take up the position of head of the Department of Government Effectiveness in Donald Trump’s administration, does not spare words of criticism towards the American F-35 fighter. “It’s a plane that has been expected to do too much and has become a master of nothing,” the billionaire said, attaching a video of a swarm of drones to his post on X, suggesting that manned fighters are now obsolete.

Musk: “Manned fighter jets are a thing of the past”

According to Musk, the F-35’s problem lies in its design assumptions. “The project was broken at the requirements level because it was expected to perform too many functions for too many recipients. This made it expensive, complicated and ineffective,” wrote the billionaire.

He added that in the era of modern drones, manned fighters are becoming obsolete: “They will just kill the pilots.”

Pentagon Report: Reliability Problems

Musk’s criticism is consistent with reports from a declassified Pentagon report that reveals numerous technical problems with the F-35. According to Bloomberg, combat tests have pointed to maintenance delays, reliability problems and weapons that do not fire accurately. The report also raises unresolved issues regarding the aircraft’s cyber defense.

Greg Williams, director of the Defense Information Center, says the report provides enough reason for the new Trump administration to conduct a thorough review of the F-35 program. “We have been flying these fighters for 18 years, and we still cannot maintain them or ensure their full combat readiness,” he emphasizes.

Poland in the background: a multi-billion contract

Poland signed a contract for the purchase of 32 F-35 fighters in 2020. The contract value was USD 4.6 billion and covers not only the machines themselves, but also spare engines, simulators and training for pilots and ground crew. The first deliveries are planned for 2026, and the entire process is expected to be completed in 2030.

The first Polish F-35 called “Husarz” has already been produced and will be delivered to the Ebbing Air Base in Arkansas in December, where intensive training of Polish pilots will begin.

Global controversy around the F-35

The F-35 program has been controversial for years due to its enormous costs. The total cost of developing, producing and operating the F-35 fleet is estimated to be $1.8 trillion by 2088, making it the most expensive weapons project in Pentagon history.

Despite this, the Pentagon’s program office assures that the F-35 is fully combat capable and is the answer to modern threats. Lockheed Martin, the plane’s manufacturer, emphasizes that almost 90% of the fighter’s components work better than the specifications require.

Not only Poland is investing in the F-35. Recently, Romania signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance regarding the purchase of 32 F-35 fighters for USD 6.5 billion. This shows that, despite the controversy, fifth-generation fighters are still considered a key element of defense in Europe.