The quickest way to reduce the unit cost would be to remove the pilot. Drones on steroids will be the way of the future, you can have numerous units, and no aircrew at risk.
Not today it's not. UAVs don't remove the pilot, they just relocate him or her from the aircraft to the ground. In fact, the manpower needed to operate UAVs in the Reaper and Global Hawk classes far exceeds that of manned aircraft.
That may change in the future when UAVs do truly become autonomous, but not for many years yet (if at all).
Aircrew risk is another matter entirely, but there of plenty of young men and women (and some not so young) willing to take the chance.