The Defense Department will also seek $1.2 billion for the development of a new long-range bomber — another contract that's expected to be hotly contested —
Maybe that one will be unmanned. I do not believe that another bomber ever needs to be built. There are a variety of ways to deliver munitions. Manned bomber strikes me as an anachronism ... 'fighting the last war' mentality.
as well as $821 million procurement of MQ-9 Reaper drones, according to Politico.
One of the few procurement decisions that makes sense to me.
At some point, will the US DoD look at what they need out of aircraft and airborne platforms and question the paradigm that a person needs to be in it?
The unmanned carrier aircraft is a step in that direction as part of the force mix. Maybe I am wrong, and the key is the mix : some manned, some unmanned. (That is what the USN's LAMPS community is evolving into).
From the linked article, what appears to be happening is that an engine is what the follow on strike/fighter aircraft is to be built around.
Not sure if that's what's going on, but that's how it reads to me.
Confusing, to be sure.