Trump ally Musk calls for US to replace fighter jets with drones

Billionaire Elon Musk, tapped by US President-elect Donald Trump to slash federal government spending, lashed out at modern fighter jets on Monday, saying that drones were the future of air combat. The F-35, the world's most advanced fighter, is stealth capable and can also be used to gather intelligence.

Germany, Poland, Finland and Romania have all recently signed deals for the aircraft. Its development, however, has suffered from issues, notably in the design of its computer programs, and its very high operating costs are regularly criticized by its detractors. He also pointed out that the existence of the F-35 had forced US rivals to develop their own aircraft and advanced radar to match it.