Elon Musk tells a room full of Air Force pilots: ‘The fighter jet era has passed’

[PDFChamp]

Published Fri, Feb 28 20204:29 PM EST

Key Points

• Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk predicted Friday that the future of war would be carried out by autonomous drones and not by legacy aircraft.
• “The fighter jet era has passed,” Musk said during a fireside chat with U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John Thompson at the Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando.
• Musk also said that Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet, which is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons system, should have a competitor.

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, speaks with US Air Force Lieutenant General John Thompson, commander Space and Missile Systems Center commander at Space Pitch Day in San Francisco, California.

ORLANDO, Fla., — Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk predicted Friday that the future of war would be carried out by autonomous drones and not by legacy aircraft.

“The fighter jet era has passed,” Musk said during a fireside chat with U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John Thompson at the Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida. “Drone warfare is where the future will be. It’s not that I want the future to be – it’s just, this is what the future will be,” he added.

Musk also said that Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet, which is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons system, should have a competitor.

“The Joint Strike Fighter, there should be a competitor ... that’s a controversial subject but I don’t think it’s good to have one provider,” Musk said. He later elaborated on Twitter that the F-35 competitor should be a drone.

“The competitor should be a drone fighter plane that’s remote-controlled by a human, but with its maneuvers augmented by autonomy. The F-35 would have no chance against it,” he wrote.

A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter approaches at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.

Throughout his discussion with Thompson, Musk warned that the United States was at risk of falling behind other nations if it did not prioritize innovation.

“This is not something that was a risk in times past but is a risk now,” Musk said. “I have zero doubt that if the United States doesn’t seek innovation in space it will be second in space.”

Musk also predicted that the Chinese economy will eventually surpass the United States’ by at least two-fold.

“A thing that will feel pretty strange is that the Chinese economy is probably going to be at least twice as big as the United States’ economy, maybe three times,” Musk said.

“The foundation of war is economics,” Musk said. “If you have half the resources of the counterparty then you better be real innovative, if you’re not innovative, you’re going to lose.”


Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/28/elon-musk-says-the-fighter-jet-era-has-passed.html

 

[Yankee-stani]

Ohh looks like Elon Musk wants to get into the defense sector

 

[Genghis khan1]

“The foundation of war is economics,” Musk said. “If you have half the resources of the counterparty then you better be real innovative, if you’re not innovative, you’re going to lose.”

Something people in AirHQ needs to realize. Instead of playing caught up all the time and only relying on reactive countering strategies. PAF and military in general needs to be Proactive in finding innovative advantages and out of the box strategies and weapons.

 

[PurpleButcher]

Musk will one day become Iron Man

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

You talkin like @El Sidd hehe

Musk will one day become Iron Man

 

[Itachi]

Ohh looks like Elon Musk wants to get into the defense sector

SpaceX launches military sats all the time....you can't escape the MIC.

I think the next step (from what I read of one of DARPA's many programs) is to launch sats (of all kinds) as fast as possible, on a moments notice, from any place possible.

This strategy will help overcome the usage of anti-sat weapons by the adversaries of the US, who'll be able to make sure there is redundant sats in space which can take over those that have been shot down....all of which will be replenished through the above mentioned tactic.

Obviously, with reusable rockets, 3d printed rockets, mini sats and more innovations, putting sats in space will become a cost effective method that won't hurt the war effort as much.

Something people in AirHQ needs to realize. Instead of playing caught up all the time and only relying on reactive countering strategies. PAF and military in general needs to be Proactive in finding innovative advantages and out of the box strategies and weapons.

Exactly.

 

[GumNaam]

100% DISAGREE with mister musk! drones are at the mercy of jamming and ai has not come far enough to match the quick thinking of a well trained fighter pilot nor modular enough to be put into a fighter plane...

 

[Itachi]

100% DISAGREE with mister musk! drones are at the mercy of jamming and ai has not come far enough to match the quick thinking of a well trained fighter pilot nor modular enough to be put into a fighter plane...

Future USAF strategy disagrees with you:

drones are at the mercy of jamming

Depends on what types of drones are being used....

Do you mean this drone?

Or this one?

Each of these "drones" can be reconfigured for different types of missions....from air refueling, ISR to actual combat.

 

[GumNaam]

Future USAF strategy disagrees with you:

uhm, you do realize that in this video, there's a pilot sitting in that f35 controlling all the drones in front of his aircraft, right?

 

[Itachi]

Musk also predicted that the Chinese economy will eventually surpass the United States’ by at least two-fold.

“A thing that will feel pretty strange is that the Chinese economy is probably going to be at least twice as big as the United States’ economy, maybe three times,” Musk said.

That's a bold statement.....is he hinting at a economic downturn for the US?

 

[GumNaam]

Future USAF strategy disagrees with you:

Depends on what types of drones are being used....

Do you mean this drone?

Or this one?

Each of these "drones" can be reconfigured for different types of missions....from air refueling, ISR to actual combat.

And they are all can succumb to the electronic warfare. There's a reason why in spite of being the most advanced air power in the world, us air & navy pilots are initially taught to fly & fight electronically blind...

 

[RIP Pak LAW]

Way too early to say. Probably 7th generation pilot less fighter jets will be hi-tech evolved drones and technology will be available by 2050+ era only. 6th generation fighter jets will have ability to accompany multiple drones along side with them to launch a coordinated attack where pilot will be controlling the drone(s) as well and at the same time drone will be shadowing the jet completely, its speed and maneuvers, all through secure data link. Distance between the plane and the shadowing drone(s) will be controlled as well. The role of the fighter pilot probably will end in 7th generation fighter jets system.

 

[Itachi]

uhm, you do realize that in this video, there's a pilot sitting in that f35 controlling all the drones in front of his aircraft, right?

That is just a proof of concept...a hint at what's to come.....it's one of the many possibilities.

And neither the wingman or the drone buddy will be that close in actual warfare but spread out......each drone will be able to use it's own AESA radar to provide feedback to the wingman while the wingman keeps his/her EM spec. as low as possible (to evade detection).

Musk just hinted towards another possibility. A fully autonomous fighter drone which are also being looked into by various nations, including the US.

 

[Old School]

The biggest difference between the United States and the rest of the world is guys like Elon Musk. Not only these people can dare to dream but also they can get their dreams financed. Can you clone an Elon Musk ? No.

 

[Itachi]

And they are all can succumb to the electronic warfare. There's a reason why in spite of being the most advanced air power in the world, us air & navy pilots are initially taught to fly & fight electronically blind...

You're giving too much weight to EW......while the enemy can conduct EW....some of the drones can do ESM and EW and ECM along with ECCM.

The biggest difference between the United States and the rest of the world is guys like Elon Musk. Not only these people can dare to dream but also they can get their dreams financed.

Another is that they can deliver...