Navy wants carrier-based drone by 2018

[unhappycamper]

Navy wants carrier-based drone by 2018
By John Reed - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Mar 25, 2010 13:42:26 EDT

The Navy has begun looking into options for fielding a stealthy drone capable of locating and attacking targets alongside manned jets before the end of the decade.

The Navy wants information on carrier-based, “low-observable, Unmanned Air Systems concepts optimized for irregular and hybrid warfare scenarios capable of integrating with manned platforms as part of the carrier air wing by the end of 2018 to support limited operations in contested scenarios,” reads a request for information released by the Navy on March 19.

The aircraft, dubbed Unmanned Carrier-launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike, must be able to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as well as strike operations, according to the document.

The RfI is a first step toward developing “the acquisition strategy to provide a limited inventory of fleet operable systems capable of performing the UCLASS mission,” reads a March 25 e-mail from Navy Capt. Jeffrey Penfield, UCLASS program manager.

The sea service is gearing up to perform the first flight of a similar aircraft, the Northrop Grumman X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS), later this year. That aircraft is a stealthy, strike fighter-size drone designed to demonstrate that the Navy can operate advanced strike UAVs from carrier flight decks.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/03/navy_defense_class_uav_032510w/

[FarCenter]

1. Interesting -- if you use drones, can carriers be a lot smaller?

You should be able to catapault the drone into the air with a lot more Gs of acceleration than a pilot could withstand.

And also use more agressive arresting gear.

You might be able to make carriers a lot smaller and cheaper.

[Posteritatis]

4. Depending on the drone and ship setup, a frigate could well be a carrier then. (nt)

[DailyGrind51]

2. As much as Afghans understandably hate drones, they do limit the necessity of ground troops.

Clinton effectively employed high altitude bombing in the Kosovo War to force a Serbian surrender, with few American casualties. Drones are a 21st Century upgrade from high altitude manned bombers.

[Orsino]

3. My regards to Cap'n Dunsel. n/t