Britain thought AI-powered ‘robot fighter jets’ were years away. The Royal Air Force chief says the future is already here. The Royal Air Force is fielding the StormShroud drone, designed to jam enemy radars and clear a path for fighter jets. Royal Air Force photo The UK aimed to field an 'AI air force' by 2035, the head of the Royal Air Force said. Modern conflict in the Middle East is showing that this technology is needed much sooner. A priority for the RAF is the development of "robot fighter jets" to work alongside crewed planes. A top Royal Air Force officer says Britain's vision of an AI-powered air force is no longer a future goal for the 2030s — it's here today and needed now. Air Chief Marshal Harvey Smyth, the head of the British Royal Air Force , said the UK initially thought it was roughly a decade away from becoming what he described as an "AI air force" that operates "robot fighter jets" alongside traditional crewed aircraft.…