Optionally crewed aircraft could change the squadron

Will drone development lead to optionally crewed combat aircraft?

Optionally crewed systems will matter, but the person aboard may act more as an observer and battle manager coordinating several aircraft than as a conventional fighter pilot.

An onboard person may resemble a naval observer or battle manager more than a conventional fighter pilot. The aircraft could coordinate several uncrewed partners while its crew handles electronic warfare, observation, targeting, and battlespace management. One crew might therefore direct three or four aircraft rather than occupy a single airframe. That breaks the traditional link between the number of pilots and the number of aircraft assigned to a squadron. Optionally crewed aviation could consequently drive a larger organisational change than simply replacing a pilot with a remote-control link.