According to The Register, in a typically tongue-in-cheek article:
American aerospace colossus Northrop Grumman has called for the US air force to purchase a hundred-strong fleet of enormous aerial stealth raiders, able to direct “netted wolfpacks” of flying kill-robots and packing “cyber warfare tools” capable of “attacking enemy information nodes”. The proposed Next Generation Long Range System (NGLRS) cyberbomber is also, of course, thought likely to mount some kind of raygun.
As a young military aerospace engineer, I recall arguing for armed unmanned aerial vehicles, on the basis that it is the pilot who now restricts the performance of the plane, while boosting costs. Of course, the idea also protects aircrew, although I don’t think I have heard a fighter pilot advance that argument…
