Artist's impression only
Posted on 02/17/2010 6:29:59 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Personnel from the Navy Unmanned Combat Air System (N-UCAS) program team and industry partner Northrop Grumman Corporation are underway with USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) to test the integration of existing ship systems with new systems that will support the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D).
This effort will reduce program risk and is one of many steps toward the X-47B's first carrier arrested landing or "trap."
The X-47B will be the first unmanned jet aircraft to take off and land aboard an aircraft carrier. With a 62ft wingspan and length of 38ft, the X-47B is about 87 percent the size of the F/A-18C aircraft currently operating aboard Navy aircraft carriers.
The UCAS-D effort is focused on developing and demonstrating an aircraft carrier (CV) suitable, low observable (LO) unmanned air system in support of persistent, penetrating surveillance, and penetrating strike capabilities in high threat areas. The effort will evolve technologies required to conduct launch, recovery, and carrier controlled airspace (CCA) operations and autonomous air refueling (AAR) of an LO platform. By FY13, the Navy plans to achieve UCAS CV demonstration; achieve hybrid probe & drogue (USN style) and boom/receptacle (USAF style) AAR demonstration; and evaluate and identify technologies supporting future naval capability requirements.
Mark Pilling, a former naval flight officer with operational unmanned aircraft experience, is the team's mission operator. He and his team are charged with verifying mission operator software between the ship and aircraft.
"This is the first step in the X-47B's integration into the carrier's systems," said Pilling.
(Excerpt) Read more at navy.mil ...
Artist's impression only
Artist’s impression is cool
I like it too
Imagine how many unmanned aircraft you stack in a carrier. Stack em up like Frisbees.
I want one....or two.
Dang it, i got to read closer. I was all excited and thought the Navy was doing something with a B-47. I was amazed, happy, mystified. I likes me cold war jets :) !!!
And i like em polished and shiny!
And pretty accurate.
More range, longer hang time, no or few G-problems.., greater payload, even kamikaze options, could be cheaper costs on some or all models, an unplanned for threat, benefits not even known now..., a game changer.. etc..
An unmanned drone landing on a pitching carrier?
I can see why they’re making such a fuss.
The F/A-18 Super Hornet can land itself on a pitching carrier without pilot assistance.
No self respecting naval aviator will allow it to do so.
/
Think Predator with a pilot at remote controls.
Oh Yes.
It’s a carrier based baby B2!
...and better yet, put an extra reactor on board to make hydrazine to fuel these puppies. would that make them ‘green’?
Why are these UCV’s starting to remind me of those in the Terminator movies? lol
Sounds like you and I are the only ones who remember the B-47. It was quite and airplane and filled the gap between the B-36 and the B-52.
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