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The largest cost for a fighter is its engine, followed by radar and weaponry. The cost for including a human is a nit. And there isn't any armor in modern fight
by greedo 6y ago
The largest cost for a fighter is its engine, followed by radar and weaponry. The cost for including a human is a nit. And there isn't any armor in modern fighters. The A-10 has titanium , but fighter jets don't pack anything like that.
- danjac 6y agoThere's dollar cost, and then there's political cost. A pilot shot down and killed or captured is a political liability and military planners have to take that into account when deploying manned aircraft vs drones.
- greedo 6y agoAgreed, but that doesn't mean that an autonomous aircraft will be cheap simply because it lacks a pilot. The cost for a Global Hawk is north of $250M, and it sure isn't a fighter bomber.