Lockheed Martin isn’t sitting on its hands while naysayers scream that manned jets are dead; the company is hard at work turning the F-35 into a battlefield quarterback that commands and partners with unmanned systems using advanced AI and sensor fusion. That’s exactly the direction Lockheed is pitching — keep the pilot in the loop, but multiply his power with autonomous wingmen and real-time data sharing to dominate future battlespaces. This is smart, pragmatic modernization that protects American lives while keeping our edge over rivals.
Meanwhile, the celebrity critique machine is in overdrive. Elon Musk publicly dismissed the F-35 as obsolete, calling the program a costly mistake and arguing drones make manned fighters unnecessary, a talking point the Trump administration’s DOGE efficiency push has amplified. Conservatives should welcome scrutiny of waste, but we should not sacrifice capability or the industrial base on the altar of headline-grabbing tech utopianism.
Let’s be clear about who and what are at stake: the F-35 program supports tens of thousands of American jobs and billions of dollars in local economic activity, especially in places like Fort Worth where the jets are assembled. These are not abstract contractor line items — they are hardworking Americans building the tools that keep this country safe and deter aggression. Any reform that threatens those jobs without a concrete, tested replacement for the F-35’s unique combination of stealth, sensors, and interoperability is reckless.
At the same time, Lockheed is moving. Skunk Works’ new Vectis stealthy drone and other loyal-wingman concepts show the company knows the future is manned-unmanned teaming, not a polarizing bet on either manned jets or pure drone nirvana. This is the right kind of evolution: adapt the system, don’t blow it up and start over in a way that leaves gaps in our defenses. If Washington wants savings, fund smart modernization that preserves capability and American industrial strength.
Reality bites where the politics and procurement collide: Lockheed has faced growing competition, program hiccups, and congressional pressure that have led to scaled-back orders and tighter program timelines. That’s why the company’s pivot toward integrated drone teaming isn’t just innovation theater — it’s an essential commercial and national-security strategy to keep the program attractive and effective. But innovation must be paired with sustained procurement and clear policy, not Twitter hot takes or budget theater.
The Trump administration’s DOGE effort promises efficiency, and some of its reforms could weed out genuine waste; yet handing the future of defense policy to celebrity-led cost-cutting without full regard for readiness risks hollowing out America’s deterrent. If DOGE identifies savings, fine — funnel those savings back into modernization, maintenance, and the workforce that keeps jets flying and wars from happening. American security deserves hard-headed reforms, not ideological purity tests that confuse austerity with strength.
Patriots should cheer Lockheed’s technical strides while demanding responsible stewardship from Washington. We can and should squeeze waste, hold contractors and bureaucrats accountable, and still back the men and women who design, build, and maintain the platforms that deter our enemies. Political grandstanding and social-media pronouncements won’t replace the industrial muscle that keeps America free; smart, well-funded modernization and respect for the defense workforce will.
