Perhaps Drones of the future with sophisticated sensory and AI are going to be instructed to interact with aircraft around them, whenever possible to ride in their slipstream to conceal their radar position and to extend range.

It might have a similar sensor, but it would be a major overhaul to give it the battle space management command suite.

You put the radar in, but made no room for the electronics rack(s). Trying to connect the radar to the mission computer by a cable is problematic for high speed processing as it adds major latencies. You have to move the nose forward a good meter IMHO. You also have more wetted area by upwards of 50% if that shaded area is what you propose as the fuel tanks. It also looks like your weapons bays overlap other areas. What kind of landing gear is it supposed to have? As it is now there is no accounting for a nose wheel.

It would be a compelling way perhaps to justify life extensions on F-15B’s or F-15D’s without breaking the bank trying to do new builds. There aren’t enough F-15E’s as it is now.

The MiG-31 has plenty of extra airframes to convert. Putin should have a pair for his personal trips to check on his gas ventures.

Where does the RN intend to patrol in the future? Has contraction of the mission crept in, too?

Wouldn’t the 737-700ER work for it just as well?

Everyone knows here how I prefer multi-engined over single engined. But this is about a contest on automation.

If they need long endurance they have cots non-afterburning turbofans in the range of .35 for sfc. There are also engines being demonstrated in the range down to .3 for sfc. These engines have enormous mtbf’s to match their conservative fuel usage. But I’m pretty sure they aren’t friendly to the military parts pipeline, and what’s a good MTBF in the civilian world isn’t always reflected in military service.