The geniuses also said that the advent of air to air missiles meant that guns on fighters were no longer needed.
We all know how that turned out...............
Guns are still needed on fighters for when the relatively few missiles are gone, but that just points to the fact that fighters will be supplemental to the far more numerous (and expendible) drones.
“They” are getting awfully close to taking the guns off fighters a second time. Even those fighters most recently designed to carry cannon have precious few cannon rounds. It’s now truly a last-ditch weapon for these planes.