X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Taking Shape On Board Lincoln

navy.mil ^ | 1/17/2010 | Lt. Cmdr. William Marks

[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.

[TokuMei]

MANY capabilities of carriers have been radically improved, however the question of range has not been improved NEARLY as much as most people believe —mostly missions occur within 500 or so miles of the carrier. This is not a huge improvement over the 1940’s.

Improvement of ASM’s mean that the Navy still worries about carrier safety —they want the persistence that has brought so much success to the AF and Army.

China’s recent development of ASBM’s makes this need all the more dire.

I...am tempted to recommend that the USN just commit 100% to the X-47, and screw the F-35, maybe.

[Vroomfondel]

ping

[Rebelbase]

[katana]

This is a shot from Grumman's site:

[CodeToad]

“An unmanned drone landing on a pitching carrier?”

Doesn’t the F-18 autoland anyway?

[magslinger]

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[DesScorp]

"Think Predator with a pilot at remote controls.

I may be wrong here, but I seem to recall that what really made this different from the other UAV's is that there is no remote control... that this plane is literally a robot, with a mission programmed into it. You load the mission program, fire up the UAV, and get out of it's way. The goal is for it to be completely autonomous from startup to shutdown, including robotic takeoffs and landings, with everything controlled by software. With something like a Predator, it's just a remote control toy writ large. This really is more like a cylon. Build it, tell it where the target is, and turn it loose.

[SZonian]

Then carrier landings will be very problematic as they have to program the vehicle to touch down at a specific altitude above sea level. If the deck is pitching, I suspect they’re going to plant a few of these before they get it right.

All of this is pure speculation based on DesScorp’s post to me. If what he says is correct, then my theory may have merit. (Disclaimer since I don’t actually work on that one and have no inside knowledge.)

Cheers,
SZ

[Francis McClobber]

The Navy has been using an ACLS system for years. It’s pretty effective, especially during blue water ops on a pitch black night. Calms nerves and reduces bolters. The UCAV will use a similar system.

[SZonian]

This is what’s so great about FR.

Thanks for the info.

FRegards,
SZ

[Francis McClobber]

The X-47 will be controlled much like the Global Hawk, where an operator may direct the flight including course, airspeed and altitude changes, but the aircraft flies itself. It will not be a set and forget aircraft.

The Predator is far more that a toy. It is remotely piloted, with a pilot controlling the flight control surfaces of the aircraft. It is capable of autonomous operation as well, but that is not it’s primary use.

[Francis McClobber]

No sweat.

I spent some time flying in the Navy and working in the UAV biz at GA-ASI.

[1010RD]

This idea seems stupid. What do you think?

[ken5050]

In the 80’s the Navy was working on a program for rocket boosted artillery shells from battleships. I believe they would have had a max range of 200+ miles. ( and by today I think the range would have been substantially more) Since something like 80% of the world’s population lives with 200 miles of navigable water..the idea of the New Jersey lying offshore and lobbing in those big shells with pinpoint accuracy would have been awesome..and a lot cheaper than Tomahawks at $1 mil+ @. Unfortunately, the Navy scrapped the plan, and the battlewagons..