The Last Manned Fighter

In this paper, Lt Col Robert B. Trsek addresses the question, can and should the Air Force pursue an unmanned multirole fighter to replace manned systems? Unmanned aircraft systems have demonstrated enormous intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in both flexibility and persistence. Current and emerging technology may permit unmanned fighters to replace conventional multirole aircraft in the face of high-endurance missions, evolving threat systems, and political pressure to preserve human life.