Originally Posted by Tweetdrvr

The leadership ignores some basic tenants of electronic warfare in favor of RPAs because the political environment is so averse to risking lives.

Here is what I learned at EW school back in the day, and nothing I have seen can convince me it has changed.

1. Russian-Soviets had a saying that went something to the effect of those who control the electromagnetic spectrum will win the next war.

2. EW school had a saying that no one can guarantee control of the electromagnetic spectrum

3. The guy on the ground can always overpower whatever ECM/ECCM the guy in the air has because he is not limited by size of generator/transmitter and therefore can always throw more electrons to counter whatever it is you are trying to do or jam your signals thus adversely affecting or denying you the use of your communications and or data links for command and control and information sharing.

RPAs are great for the current conflicts, but the future conflicts that we debate about here will require at least a moderate number of fifth generation and beyond aircraft will not be a permissive electronic environment and RPAs will be all but useless. Unless we want to take the human totally out of the loop and give them AI or some kind of autonomy to go out and kill things and come home at the end of the mission.