This document discusses considerations for maintaining an independent strike capability for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) through the use of unmanned aircraft. It summarizes the benefits of unmanned, stealthy, and refuelable aircraft, such as increased mission endurance without risk to aircrew. A decomposition of persistent sortie operations is presented, showing how unmanned aircraft can generate significantly more time on station than manned aircraft through aerial refueling and reduced turnaround times. The document argues that unmanned aircraft can substantially reduce life cycle costs compared to manned systems due to lower training requirements for operators versus pilots. Potential areas of RAAF interest that could benefit from long-endurance unmanned strike capabilities are identified.