Letting pilots choose what aircraft to buy is always asking for trouble
. If there are no wars to be fought, of course they are going to want a supersonic whizzbang jet to fly around the mountains of Nevada or 200ft above the Welsh valleys. When it comes to a bomb truck for loitering over a warzone the requirement and flying is far more mundane.
The main limitation of the combat UAVs in service is being able to provide the rapid response to troops on the ground of 'fast air', although the next generation or two of UAVs should do this.
Having said that, I would like to hear how enthusiastic General Schwartz is about unmanned transport aircraft. There is the CQ-10 Snow Goose of course, but no mention yet of a UAV C17 replacement...
Regarding the quotation of General 'Hap' Arnold', I can think of at least two WW2 aircraft (C47 & A26 Invader) that fought in America's next two wars. Are there any others?
As for the article stating that UAVs were first used in Yugoslavia in the 90s, they seem to have forgotten the reconaissance versions of the Ryan Firebee used in Vietnam.