The Future Air War
For many years, about 20, I've never got around to writing a novel about how I saw the future air war. I planned to cal it "The Swarm".
The idea was of a stealthy aircraft with minimal sensors of it's own, but a UWB datalink talking to a swarm of drones of the same RCS/signature around it - up to 30-50nm ahead, behind etc.
Some drones would be weapons of various types, others radars, ECM platforms, refuelling pods etc. More could launched from LRLS types trucks near the FEBA to RV; those needing recovery such as the radar & ECM would recover for net capture.
The manned platform would operate as the heart of the system making decisions, allocating targets; if lost the Swarm could operate autonomously until a replacement took over.
The entire swarm would continuously change formation to match the threat and mission and to confuse enemy sensors & weapons. Any losses would only result in a small reduction in effectiveness.
In the novel the Wing/sqn was going to be secret - Area 51 sort of thing; the pilots were going to be female and as small and light as possible because of the aircraft size (A radical idea at the time - female pilots that is).
Thought it would take a long time to get the sort of technology flying. Now I'm not so sure......