The Navy Is Developing A Next-Generation Drone That Can Land On Aircraft Carriers

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http://www.businessinsider.com/the-navy-is-developing-a-next-generation-drone-that-can-land-on-aircraft-carriers-2014-12


Sailors move an X-47B onto an aircraft elevator aboard the USS George H.W. Bush on May 14, 2013.

The Navy is trying to build a next-generation super-drone that it can launch from an aircraft carrier and refuel in mid-air.

In the first quarter of 2015, the US Navy will pick a winner from among the four defense contractors asked to design a version of the aircraft.

According to a rundown of Navy programs, four to eight units of the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) will be brought into participating carrier air wings, "enabling a single carrier to conduct '24/7' [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance], targeting, strike, and bomb damage assessment operations."

Unmanned aircraft come with significant advantages over their piloted relatives. Drones don't suffer from pilot fatigue, making fuel their only flight limitation. And Northrop Grumman is looking to solve that with in-flight refueling capabilities for its candidate, the X-47B.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-navy-is-developing-a-next-generation-drone-that-can-land-on-aircraft-carriers-2014-12#ixzz3LgRuunLK

[Octafish]

1. Soon, they won't need a Volunteer Force.

The drones will run the racket for them.