For years, I've been following a little-known Pentagon program.
An absolute game-changer.
It's called "Skyborg."
And it's as futuristic as it sounds.
The idea is to start pairing fighter jets and bombers up with drones.
From now on, every pilot gets a little buddy, a robot wingman.
Some are launched from the ground, while others are small enough to deploy from underneath a jet's wing like a missile, or in swarms from the docking bay of a cargo plane.
Either way, they're extremely effective.
The drones, or collaborative combat aircraft, perform a variety of functions.
They can fly ahead of their manned counterparts, probing enemy defenses, mapping out targets, jamming anti-aircraft systems with electronic warfare, or outright destroying enemy targets with rockets and bombs.
At a bare minimum, they act as bodyguards, literally taking bullets for their wards.
That could potentially save the lives of human pilots. It could also save American taxpayers from losing a next-gen fighter that cost over $100 million.
And all it costs is a $5 million drone that's there acting as a shield.
But now, here's the thing about Skyborg.
It's not just an effort to aid or shield our multi-million-dollar manned fighters.
It's an effort to connect our entire military through one massive cloud and, ultimately, build an autonomous unmanned fighting force.