If it’s bloody dogfights versus the Red Chinese over the Taiwan Strait that represent our Air Force’s future, then we’re probably right to invest so heavily in speedy, stealthy, expensive manned fighters — even if the budgetary picture for these airplanes looks worse by the day.
But if counter-insurgency fights are the way ahead, then maybe, just maybe, drone airplanes can rescue the Air Force from budgetary and obsolescence meltdown.