Why Optionally Crewed Fighter Jets Could Be The Future Of Aerial Warfare

While the United States Air Force appears to be unsure about the wisdom of a manned sixth-generation fighter, it seems to be powering ahead with the Collaborative Combat Aircraft component of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. These are loyal wingman drones designed to add mass and be dramatic enablers for the manned sixth-generation fighter platform. However, the distinction between a manned sixth-generation fighter and unmanned loyal wingman drones is not a clean one. It appears both of these systems could be optionally manned to some degree.