signals can be blocked and drowned out (cat and mouse situation)
Not as easy as you think. In this cat and mouse game, the cat has the advantage because he knows the next move, the mouse has to try and figure it out.
At the end of the day, wireless means they're sending a signal on some frequency over the air(either up to satellite, down to ground stations or on some axis emanating from the aircraft using some known or as of yet unknown medium). If it can be detected, it can be blocked through brute force flooding with noise.
You can't remote control something if it can't receive signal from source and (less importantly) (in effect) can't send signal back to source.
They're trying to replace pilots --- defined as a live person in the cockpit.
They have no choice. If they don't do it, the Chinese will.
Human pilots are physically fragile and expensive and represent the single biggest impediment to the performance of an aircraft.
The single biggest advantage of a human pilot --- decision making. Which can be done remotely with a properly designed system.
Taking the pilot out of the cockpit will allow planes to be cheaper, smaller, faster, more agile, more stealthy ... and more lethal.