Drones, Drones, Everything that Flies?

Danger Room: "It was without much fanfare that the Air Force published its new Unmanned Aircraft System Flight Plan on Wednesday. But the low-key launch of the study, which aims to sketch out drone development through the year 2047, belies the radical future the air service envisions. In an acronym-dense 82 pages, the Air Force explains how ever-larger and more sophisticated flying robots could eventually replace every type of manned aircraft in its inventory — everything from speedy, air-to-air fighters to lumbering bombers and tankers.

Emphasis on “might” and “could.” While revealing how robots can equal the capabilities of traditional planes, the Air Force is careful to emphasize that an all-bot air fleet is not inevitable. Rather, drones will represent “alternatives” to manned planes, in pretty much every mission category."