It’s partly because of their expected longevity that I again predict that the “5th generation” F-22 and the 4.5 gen F-35 will be America’s last frontline, pilot-carrying offensive aircraft. Remotely piloted vehicles’ maneuvers aren’t handicapped by the pilot’s physiology; their microprocessors need neither oxygen nor G-suits.
Most believe the troops on the ground will still need piloted-craft in support, for the forseeable future, but, at over $200 million per Raptor, and $100 million per JSF, we’ve spent ourselves out of the air-ace-as-Lancelot-on-horseback age. A pity, because the new planes so pretty, but in any near-future combat, God forbid, they’ll pro’ly just be rammed and destroyed by small swarms of remotely piloted suicide missile/drones.
and La Tolteca, from the tagline, is in Rehoboth, DelAware. el oopso!