A new arms race is taking shape in the skies, as the world’s major powers design fighter jets for an era of drones, data, and long-range war. America’s F-47, China’s J-36, and Europe’s Tempest are being conceived not just as aircraft, but as flying command centers—larger, stealthier platforms built to control swarms of autonomous drones while surviving increasingly lethal air defenses. In this episode, we explore why sixth-generation fighters are becoming airborne supercomputers, what recent conflicts have taught militaries about range and survivability, and why the staggering cost of these machines is reviving an old question: as autonomy advances, will the future of air combat still need a human in the cockpit?

https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/05/14/the-race-to-build-the-fighter-planes-of-the-future