LOL! - the 'Not Invented Here' attitude lingers on!
I'm not sure about any $50Bn, but someone in
PR will have sexed-up that figure.
I am sure, though, of a need to move cargo about cheaply and steadily, to places that don't have a runway, a railway or a dockyard. Places that are just being built or just don't have a road.
There may also be a need for something to hang around for a while. Perhaps longer but certainly cheaper than the current stuff. Something that doesn't need to be close the the action, but looking from miles away. And any mention of 'military' always brings risks with it.
My point is, we don't know yet if it will work? And even if it does work, will the numbers stand up to make it worth while?
...and I wonder how little money Leon would work for - in any job?
...and I wonder how much Beags would have rubbished the Kestrel/Harrier trials, or maybe the introduction of a new Swing-Wing do-it-all aeroplane?
I'm sure you would have argued against carrying radios on aircraft too.