Navy Debates Future of Carrier Drone

by Kris Osborn

Carrier-launched drone hangs in the balance of an ongoing Pentagon review aimed at better solidifying the direction for the emerging platform

A Pentagon intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, review is currently exploring the scope and range of desired attributes for the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Launched Aircraft Surveillance and Strike system, or UCLASS.

The merits of the UCLASS platform are clear; it will give the Navy much greater at-sea, long-dwell ISR technology and allow the service to conduct extended maritime surveillance drone missions without having to secure permission to launch or land an aircraft from a host country.

In addition, it could bring the prospect of having an armed, stealthy drone able to move over enemy territory, evade tracking technologies and air defenses long enough to deliver precision strike weapons on specific targets.  

The thrust of the examination focuses on how stealthy the new first-of-its kind carrier-launched drone needs to be, how much of a weapons payload it will be configured to carry and deliver and how far it will be engineered to fly with and without aerial refueling.

Rear Admiral Robert Girrier, Director of Unmanned Warfare Systems, did not wish to address specifics of the ongoing review but did recently tell reporters the drone will be an “evolutionary” platform that will bring great value to the sea service.

Some advocates for the program have suggested that an evolutionary platform could integrate new technologies, weapons and mission possibilities as they emerge, potentially adding weapons and stealth properties over time. Others have said certain stealth technologies and aircraft mission configurations would need to be built-in from the beginning in order to achieve the desired range of attributes.