ELI5: What does a “loyal wingman” bring to the table?

Why not just fly AI-driven drones at 1/10 the cost?

Why do you need a manned aircraft when you satcoms and AV feeds back to, eg, Nellis?

It seems like a concept meant to keep manned flight relevant (somehow) in the age of AI and drones.

I’m worried that money spent on this is akin to building battleships in the 1930s.