Unmanned Transport
There is a lot of truth in what you say, but I suggest that you are discounting the downside because it does not support your argument. An earlier post quoted unmanned trains as an indicator, which is not a valid comparison since trains have very limited freedom of movement and effective control in only one plane. A more realistic comparator would be a ship. The technology exists to have a crewless freighter or tanker but I have yet to see one. If and when the technology can be proved on the sea we may have to take a look at aircraft, but not before.
I suspect that the major aeroplane manufacturers will have projects somewhere for unmanned freighters, the obvious first sector for unmanned transport flight but the litigation aspects of the first crash will prevent them from moving off the drawing board.
With regard to fighter versus UAV, I have to presume that you have never been a fighter pilot. A competent jock in an agile fighter would be like a fox in a chicken run in these circumstances.
confundemus