Question: Was there anything in the film stating why the Jaegers couldn't be remotely controlled? I get the premise of 2 pilots and drifting, but it seems like the robots weren't controlled by cables and wires and the interface could have been off-site, just like piloting drones.
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Chosen answer: It is stated that due to the sheer size of the jaegers it is incredibly complex to actually pilot one. So complex that advanced mind-linking technology was developed for the sole purpose of controlling the jaegers in combat. Presumably that complexity necessitates having to actually be inside the jaeger to operate it efficiently. There is also the possibility that drifting technology has a short range or must be hardwired into the technology you wish to control.
BaconIsMyBFF
Also, you have to consider transmission latency, the amount of data that has to be transferred, and the power of the transmitters that would be required to maintain that bandwidth. Considering that it requires two pilots to take the strain, I'm guessing that the bandwidth would be a lot more than you get from a wireless gigabit connection. And, of course, the aliens could probably figure out how to jam wireless transmissions if they wanted to. A direct connection is more reliable.