Summary
The idea of a “kit air force” is appealing to more and more countries with limited budgets. The principle is simple: replace some of the functions of fighter aircraft with a combination of drones, long-range missiles, ground-to-air defense, dispersed sensors, and lighter command networks. Ukraine has turned this into a testing ground out of necessity. Azerbaijan has demonstrated its tactical effectiveness in the Caucasus. Taiwan has made it part of its doctrine in relation to China. This change is based on cold logic: modern fighter jets are expensive to purchase, maintain, train and support. Conversely, drones and missiles offer volume, dispersion and resilience. But the idea that a country could completely eliminate its fighter jets remains exaggerated. Drones and missiles are good at replacing certain missions. They cannot absorb everything. The real breakthrough is not the disappearance of the fighter jet. It is its demotion within a more modular system.
The myth of aviation without aircraft
The idea seems provocative, but it is no longer absurd. For decades, air power has been equated with the number of fighter jets, their generation, their radar, and the quality of their pilots. This interpretation remains valid for the major powers. It is less so for states that have neither the budget, the industrial depth, nor the time to build a homogeneous combat fleet.
For a small nation, owning a credible fighter force requires four major expenses: the acquisition of aircraft, maintenance, armament, and training. Added to this are air bases, parts inventories, shelters, radars, electronic warfare capabilities, and maintenance teams. A squadron is never just a dozen aircraft. It is an entire infrastructure. This reality is pushing many countries toward asymmetric defense based on simpler, more dispersed, and more replaceable systems.
The problem is that the debate is often poorly framed. The question should not be whether drones are “better” than fighter jets. The question should be which missions can be transferred at lower cost to drones, missiles, or precision artillery, and which remain fundamentally linked to piloted aircraft.
The model of a kit-based air force
The emerging model is based on a layered approach. It does not seek to replicate all aspects of conventional aviation. Instead, it seeks to divide its functions among several less expensive tools.
The layer of ubiquitous drones
Drones have become the basic tool. They are used to see, correct fire, saturate, harass, strike, deceive, and exhaust. Ukraine plans to purchase approximately 4.5 million FPV drones in 2025, up from 1.5 million the previous year, with an announced budget of more than $2.6 billion.
The Ukrainian ministry has indicated that 96% of the FPVs purchased in 2024 came from domestic manufacturers. That says it all: drones are no longer a supplementary tool. They are now mass-consumed.
This approach changes the very notion of air power. A small nation may not have many aircraft, but it can permanently deploy thousands of sensors and loitering munitions above the battlefield. It is less prestigious than a fighter squadron. It is often more useful on a tactical level.