Part 5/8:
An important point of discussion was the ongoing debate surrounding manned versus unmanned aircraft. Trimble speculated that while a human operator would control mission systems, the aircraft itself may operate autonomously. This transitional approach reflects the military's adaptation to integrating unmanned systems while retaining the benefits of human oversight.
The consideration of 'collaborative combat aircraft,' or UAVs to accompany the F-47, illustrates the military's strategy to employ advanced platforms in high-threat environments under the control of a human mission manager.