The Last Stand of the Human Fighter Pilot The military's stubborn attachment to manned combat aircraft is a relic of a bygone era, rapidly being made obsolete by the proliferation of cheap and effective unmanned systems.
In the 1920s, cavalry officers in the US and UK resisted the introduction of tanks, arguing that horses were superior on hilly terrain.
Similarly, today's military leaders are clinging to manned fighters despite overwhelming evidence that drones and other unmanned vehicles have revolutionized modern warfare.