Being UAV has relatively little to do with anything. Background: Typical 4th generation fighter is about 20 tons. 5 tons fuel, 3 tons engines, 30% structures =

Being UAV has relatively little to do with anything. Background: Typical 4th generation fighter is about 20 tons. 5 tons fuel, 3 tons engines, 30% structures = 6 tons. 2 tons payload. ~400kg internal cannon with rounds and mount. Ton of avionics and flares and such. Ton of radar+flir+optics etc. 100kg pilot with ~100 kg life support and ~100kg seat. ~some stuff for balance. Removing the pilot completely gets you 300kg more fuel. Which gives you ~7% more range. Change the requirements? No need for 9g load limit, 5G will suffice. And the engine could be medium bypass because you don't really want to go supersonic. -> 2 tons more fuel while fuel consumption is halved. -> 300% more range. And we didn't even touch power/weight ratios. They cut down carrier air wings in the 90's because Soviet Union collapsed. Viking had to go the Prowler was phased out. Viking had range og ~5000km Prowler had ~3000km. The current best is super Hornet with about ~2000km and F35 will not change that. Now that China is ramping up, you need replacement. One of the most important things done by previous slow and clumsy planes was the refueling. Because it could extend the ranges of other planes. Ranges matter. The pacific is ~10 000km across.