Morgan Phillips
As sixth-generation fighter programs ramp up, military insiders are divided over whether future warplanes need pilots at all.
The Pentagon is pouring billions into next-generation aircraft, pushing the boundaries of stealth and speed. But as America eyes a future of air dominance, one question looms large: Should Americans still be risking their lives in the cockpit?
Autonomous drones backed by AI are progressing faster than many expected, and that has some defense leaders rethinking the role of the pilot.
Some are of the mindset that the F-35 should be the last manned aircraft. Many pilots, however, do not agree.
The RQ-4 Global Hawk is the military's largest autonomous vehicle currently in operation, mostly for surveillance and reconnaissance missions. (David Mareuil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
"It’s highly controversial," one former senior defense official told Fox News Digital. "There's a whole cohort of people who think we should not be thinking about building a manned fighter for the last half of this century."
"Inside the Air Force, there are hard-line air dominance people. They're on cloud nine this week, after what the B-2s did in Iran… but in my mind, I say, why would we put men in that loop? Why wouldn't we fly those things in 2050 unmanned, completely?"
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