As a former F/A-18 pilot, I’m actually a huge fan of drones, but I’m also suspect of betting everything on them. It strikes me as having the same problem as th

As a former F/A-18 pilot, I’m actually a huge fan of drones, but I’m also suspect of betting everything on them. It strikes me as having the same problem as the JSF: ‘all your eggs in one basket’. If one key flaw can be found with the JSF, a sneaky way to target it, the results would be catastrophic. The same applies to drones, if an adversary can figure out how to deny the comm links or compromise the system, the results would also be catastrophic. Fighter aircraft are essentially missile trucks with targeting systems. The battle is being won or lost in the electromagnetic spectrum. In this battle, I’m of the mindset that we should have a mix of manned and un-manned missile truck drivers. There are advantages and disadvantages to both systems.