A "cheap" U.S. Air Force stealth drone under development --the Low Cost Attritable Aircraft (LCAA) -- might be the breakthrough that leads to the demise of manned combat aircraft in favor of unmanned aerial killers.

The reason is LCAA is incredibly cheap by air force standards: only $3 million apiece compared to the $100 million for a single Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter and $150 million for one Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor .

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The arithmetic is simple: $100 million will buy the air force about 30 LCAAs. That means the air force can produce some 15,000 LCAAs for the cost it would take to buy the 168 F-35s and 195 F-22 Raptors currently in service, which cost a combined $46 billion based on published figures.

Equally important, the air force can afford to lose hundreds of the disposable LCAAs without losing a single pilot while accomplishing the most dangerous of missions. The sheer numbers of the LCAA will overwhelm any enemy fighter squadron or surface-to-air missile defense system.

"LCAA are not built for longevity," said the Pentagon in a statemet.

Some aviation experts surmise the LCAA might become America's next major fighter but will complement and not supplant either the F-22 or F-35.

LCAA has been in a development since July 2016 by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. Kratos received a $40.8 million contract to design, develop, deliver, demonstrate and test a technical baseline for the high-speed, long-range, low-cost, limited life LCAA.

Earlier this year, Kratos produced one prototype of the new drone using its existing XQ-222 aerial drone, which was developed under the same disposable concept as the LCAA.

AFRL wants the government to fund non-stop, automated production of the LCAA at Kratos' factory.

That they can be lost by the hundreds in combat explains the strong appeal LCAA exerts on the air force. "One way missions" will be the order of the day when the LCAA becomes operational.

TagsU.S. Air Force, Low Cost Attritable Aircraft, LCAA, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc., XQ-222