Thank you very much for the compliment, but - as you point out in so many words - I did not fully make the case.

I should also have included a better description of what is perhaps the strongest benefit of drones: logistics.

Not only does the use of unmanned drones mean that too-precious pilots are not put at risk, but fatigue also becomes less of an issue. What's more, drones are not only *much* cheaper than ground-based armor, but they are also easier and cheaper to maintain...and their maintenance usually doesn't have to take place in the field. They use less fuel than ground-based armor, and their turnaround time between missions is much less.

In other words, the logistics advantage of drones is effectively a force multiplier. I see no way that ground-based armor can compete with that kind of logistical disparity.