Losing the F35 sales to Turkey

That was a bit of a stunner on unit costs for the plane.

There is a bit of desperation about the pentagon budget now, than from a year ago. The pentagon fear the continuing resolution, it meant slower deliveries, much slower Their supply chain has rising unit costs.

Now comes the drone effect, return on investment for an F35 gets a bit lower when a surveillance drone runs 20-150 thousand, with full radar. There is a lot of drone space, relative to a $100 million dollar cockpit.  Any group of drones up to a million bucks each  easily wins the battle space. The military has to protect a long logistics chain to run these systems, drone have very little.

The new order, all systems surrounded by defensive drones. Each V22 comes with its own four of five drones that it flies ahead, quick reaction drones that give the pilot time to safely land and unload. The foot soldiers keep their own, unfold and fly them as soon as the V22 exits. The carriers go no where least their surveillance drones are 200 miles ahead. The new rule, the done is the new rifle. This is a complete makeover in tactics and planning, it is intelligent drone reaction, on command. The current battle field situation is know best by the drones, at any given moment.

Even in home port. The home naval port that does not have its operational surveillance and defense drones is in error.  Time and space seem irrelevant to the drones, they have little lag in logistics to worry, except to fly back home on surviving. If the USA declares drone war over Iran, the  there will be drones over LA. Not just enemy drones, but zillions of drones all taking advantage of battle space rules, anything goes. If the world wants to preserve war then they need rules that require some minimum of dead soldiers, else the marginal incentive of fear is gone. All sides will stay home, watch the game and send in the drones.