stealth drone like X-47B (especially if cheaply mass produced) carrying several fast maneuverable air-to-air (or any other types) missiles gives you the best of both worlds - range and maneuverability. F-35 is just an attempt to get the same using outdated approach of using human to control the plane.

Interesting note from here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MQ-25_Stingray :

"Rear Adm. Michael Manazir has suggested that three of these UCAVs could fly with a F-35 for refueling and sensor operation."

The idea that drones carrying missiles will always defeat humans carrying missiles is yet to be conclusively proven.

Yes, a drone has its advantages, but there are certain other undeniable advantages to using a human pilot for military operations where decentralized decision-making is valued.

>military operations where decentralized decision-making is valued

exactly. As high speed trading already shows humans just can't compete with computers in making decisions and acting upon them fast enough. Presented with 3d battlespace densely populated with thousands of various drones (and few planes) moving at all speeds/directions and possessing and using all kinds of weapons (guns, lasers, missiles of various ranges/types) the human brain (without implanted computer chip of course) would just lose to computers.

> the human brain (without implanted computer chip of course) would just lose to computers.

Your conjecture is compelling but: As I previously stated, this has yet to be conclusively demonstrated on any realistic scenario I'm aware of.

HFT and air combat are hardly similar problem spaces.