Posted on 03/30/2010 9:50:20 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Industry players have until early May to respond to a U.S. Navy request for information (RFI) for a carrier-based, stealthy, unmanned, strike and surveillance system capable of integrating with manned aircraft as part of a carrier air wing by 2018.
The unmanned carrier-launched airborne surveillance and strike (Uclass) RFI calls for a notional system made up of 4-6 autonomously launched and recoverable vehicles to operate in irregular and hybrid warfare scenarios. The system must be able to operate from CVN-68 and -78-class carriers, and be capable of being directed from both carrier- and shore-based mission control stations. The stealthy UAV must be able to receive fuel from hose-and-drogue Navy-style tankers as well as from probe-equipped U.S. Air Force tankers.
Despite the air-to-air refueling option, the Uclass unrefueled mission endurance will be at least 11-14 hr., with inclusion of an appropriate reserve fuel quantity. The aircraft should also be capable of using lethal precision weapons to suppress, defeat, destroy, deceive or influence a range of enemy targets, and will likely be configured with folding wings and tie-down points. The RFI also holds the door open for other fixed-wing configurations, but essentially paints a picture of something closely resembling potentially larger versions of the Northrop Grumman X-47B unmanned combat air system (UCAS) demonstrator, or the recently unveiled Boeing Phantom Ray or General Atomics Avenger.
(Excerpt) Read more at aviationweek.com ...
sweet!
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