Cheaper, yes. But they can’t handle dynamic and unexpected situations on their own. They’d need a remote operator for that, which means time delay, when millisecond decisions count.
For example, say you send a drone to strike what intelligence tells you is a single outpost. Easy. What if it gets there, and there are three outposts? Or no outpost? Or there’s a significantly more valuable target right nearby that day? Or intelligence tells you they have to anti-air capability, but when your drone enters the area, you start taking anti-air fire? Or worse, an enemy fighter jet patrol?
Why are we still flying jets with human pilots? Surely, drones are cheaper and better these days?
Cheaper, yes. But they can’t handle dynamic and unexpected situations on their own. They’d need a remote operator for that, which means time delay, when millisecond decisions count.
For example, say you send a drone to strike what intelligence tells you is a single outpost. Easy. What if it gets there, and there are three outposts? Or no outpost? Or there’s a significantly more valuable target right nearby that day? Or intelligence tells you they have to anti-air capability, but when your drone enters the area, you start taking anti-air fire? Or worse, an enemy fighter jet patrol?
For the cost of a single plane and a pilot you could send one thousand drones, though. Surely that would make up for the limitations?