> It seems like manned fighter bomber aircraft are fast becoming an outdated concept. Drones can be lighter, turn harder and crucially not endanger the life of

> It seems like manned fighter bomber aircraft are fast becoming an outdated concept. Drones can be lighter, turn harder and crucially not endanger the life of the operator. Why is the MOD committing £2bn to building new ones? Fighter aircraft historically take decades to be developed. That's a speculative assumption. Predictions about future technological developments are notoriously unreliable. Unmanned planes, as they currently exist, are all remote-controlled for the most part. That leaves them far more vulnerable to attacks against the communications links than manned planes. If your adversary has a successful attack against the link, your fancy all-remote Air Force is grounded. Remote control is a massive Achilles heel. Right now, AI controlled planes are no more than a speculative fantasy. Given that reliable military defense is such a critical capability for a nation state, it makes the most sense to continue investing heavily in the state of the art of proven technology. Investment speculative technology is extremely risky, and therefore should only be done carefully, in moderation. You don't bet the farm on it.