[org.whodat]

It is really hard for a lot of people to grasp, but missile technology has surpassed the ability of a manned jet to live on a battle field of equals. And the time over target and cost is out of the world compared to a drone. When you have the ability to kill a missile with a missile, a slow moving jet has no chance.

[El Gato]

It is really hard for a lot of people to grasp, but missile technology has surpassed the ability of a manned jet to live on a battle field of equals.

I seem to remember the same thing being said around 1965 or so. Even the Air Force and Navy believed it to the extent that they deliberately left a gun out of the original versions of the F-4 Phantom.

The same sort of "it's useless" crap was said about the F-15 and F-16 in their early days, by folks of the same political stripes that are saying it about the -22 and -35 today.