TC27,
That may be an option; by 2015ish UAV technology will be more mature. There was even a plan to place 2 phased arrays on the outboard pylons of a SHAR to provide AEW!! I bet that would have been about as popular with the SHAR boys as AAR is with the Super Hornet dudes!!
However, the big issue with UAVs is bandwidth and the risk of losing connectivity. At least when you have guys on board, they can go autonomous. From that respect alone, I suspect that 849 would rather keep a rotary platform rather than go for the unmanned (personed?) option.
Regards,
M2