Training Jaeger pilots was extremely difficult, so their numbers had always been severely limited. As a result, the number of Jaegers available for combat had never been enough to meet defense needs.
The Pan Pacific Defense Corps could only deploy between four and seven Jaegers at each of its eight major Pacific Rim bases. When a Kaiju attack occurred within a base's jurisdiction, the Jaegers had to be airlifted into battle by large transport helicopters, which took considerable time.
If the city under attack was too far from the base, it would already have suffered massive destruction by the time the Jaeger arrived.
Drone Jaegers, however, were not limited by the availability of pilots. They could be deployed in large numbers across major Pacific Rim cities and remotely operated by pilots during combat, allowing them to enter battle swiftly and solving the problem of Jaegers taking too long to deploy.
But Mako Mori did not think highly of drone Jaegers. Although this remote-control system lowered the requirements for pilots, it also came with serious drawbacks and hidden dangers.
Since pilots were not directly operating the Jaegers from inside their cockpits, the remote-control system could very easily be hacked or disrupted. If drone Jaegers fell under someone's control, the consequences could be devastating.
Leatherback, which had attacked Hong Kong ten years ago, possessed the ability to emit electromagnetic pulses. It could likewise cut off remote control and render drone Jaegers combat-incapable.
Although nearly half the committee supported drone Jaegers, Mako Mori, as Secretary-General of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps, held veto power. The final decision still rested in her hands.
After repeatedly studying the feasibility of drone Jaegers, Mako Mori ultimately decided to veto the deployment plan.
"Please note, we will arrive at our destination in two minutes."
The announcement sounded