The Light Fighter Is the Air Force’s Manned-Unmanned Team Solution - War on the Rocks

For an Air Force that wants to be ready to wage an effective air campaign against Russia or China without losing lots of expensive aircraft and pilots, manned-unmanned teaming offers an important avenue forward. The light fighter offers the most cost-effective way to develop tactics and build trust between unmanned systems and pilots while adding useful combat capability.

Developments in AI and teaming between autonomous drones and manned aircraft are driving a paradigm shift in air combat that the Air Force needs to embrace or risk irrelevance fighting against peer-level nations like China or Russia, who the Air Force is behind in this area. China has already made great strides in the development of competing drone technologies and low-tech solutions that favor quantity over quality. Both Russia and China have embraced manned-unmanned teaming as part of their strategic plan. Combined with the possibility of China invading Taiwan, rising tensions in Europe, and the ever-present threat posed from violent extremist organizations around the world, the Air Force should act fast.