America needs drones and the F-35 to win the next war

The F-35 has had to develop a thick skin. From my former colleagues in Congress to defense-industry experts, the world's premier fighter jet is accustomed to criticism for issues with cost, production and more. In November, though, one of America's most influential voices decided to jump on the bandwagon: Elon Musk. Musk shared a video of a drone swarm with the caption, "Meanwhile, some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35," and he included a trash-can emoji for good measure. You can imagine the pleasant surprise of the men and women who build the F-35, as well as the brilliant men and women who pilot it, when a drone-like swarm of voices came to their defense.