[onewhippedpuppy]

The F15E Strike Eagle is one our most capable multi role fighters, with a cockpit straight out of 1985. I had the opportunity to poke around one last year and was staggered by how antiquated it was. With the exception of F18 Super Hornet, our fighter fleet is aging and in many ways inferior to other modern fighter aircraft. Aging aircraft increasingly require more time and money to maintain, increasing budgets and decreasing readiness. In my opinion we have done a fantastic job of upgrading aircraft in capability over their lives, in many cases utilizing them for decades past their intended design life. But at some point you have to shed the limitations of an old platform and start over.

As for drones and other technology, they all have their limitations. Right now you simply can't replace a well trained pilot in a capable aircraft.