Beags, all you say is true. However, the interesting aspect to this problem is that it's not just a question of the requirements for in-theatre operation. The mil UAS of the future will need to get to the theatre. Putting them on a ship/C17 and freighting them there is fraught with technological and logistical challenges. This opens up the need for discussion about how to fly a UAV to theatre from its MOB in blighty. Tricky. The ability to do so however, would present a significant strategic capability.
Associated challenges include not just the technological ones but also the legal framework, airspace and socio-political issues surrounding public acceptance of unmanned systems 'mixing it up' with airliners.
As an aside, latency is not such an issue for systems operating within LOS of the controlling intelligence but for platforms travelling intercontinental distances, it's a big problem.
Sun