The word "aircraft carrier" is usually associated with a huge ship carrying hundreds of aircraft and thousands of crew members. However, in the process of aviation development, many attempts were made to use another airplane or airship as an aircraft carrier.
Aircraft carrier designs were developed back in the First World War. In the UK, a Bristol Scout fighter was deployed on a Porte Baby aircraft in order to improve the effectiveness of the fight against German airships.
In turn, the Germans considered placing fighters on board the airship to protect them from British fighters. In 1917, the Albatros D. III fighter was dropped from the L-35 zeppelin, which then made a safe landing.
Both the British and German aircraft carrier projects did not leave the testing stage.
After the First World War, the Americans took over the baton. They made several attempts to create airships - carriers of fighters designed for naval reconnaissance. The huge airships of the US Navy Akron and Macon were supposed to carry four to five Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk fighters. Both aircraft carriers crashed, after which the US airship program was curtailed.
In the USSR, the project of the flying aircraft carrier "Link" was developed from the beginning of the 30s of the XX century. Heavy bombers TB-1 and TB-3 were envisaged as carriers, TB-7 and MTB-2 bombers were considered in the future. As fighters, as the project developed, the I-4, I-5, I-Z, I-16 aircraft were supposed. The work was carried out quite actively, many conceptual projects were considered and practical tests were carried out. In the future, it was planned to create an airplane with eight aircraft on board (two aircraft were to be installed immediately and six more dock after takeoff). The plans were thwarted by the war.
By the beginning of World War II, the project of the improved aircraft carrier Zveno-SPB (SBP, composite dive bomber) was implemented. During 1941-1942, the Zveno-SPB aircraft made several dozen sorties, destroying the enemy's point targets and engaging in combat with fighters. Several fighters were lost, but overall the experience can be considered successful.
Why hasn't the project been developed? At first, the war prevented, and then, perhaps due to the fact that the era of jet aircraft was approaching, and with jet aircraft, such tricks are much more difficult to do. Nevertheless, during the Cold War, aircraft carrier projects were developed both in the United States and in the USSR.
In the early 50s of the XX century, the United States attended to air cover for the Convair B-36 strategic bombers, designed to strike at the Soviet Union. Since the existing fighters could not cover the bombers along the entire flight route due to the short range, the idea of creating a special fighter designed to be transported on a bomber was born. Such a fighter was implemented according to the project of the McDonnell company - XF-85 Goblin. The tests were successful, the fighter developed a speed of up to 1043 km / h and could operate at altitudes up to 14,249 meters, and in general it flew well, despite its extremely specific design. The fighter's armament consisted of four 12.7 mm machine guns with an ammunition capacity of 1200 rounds.
The program was closed due to the difficulties with the docking of the fighter and the carrier, and the appearance of new fighters from the USSR, the flight data of which significantly exceeded the capabilities of the XF-85.
In another American project, Tom-Tom, a concept was considered from a bunch of an upgraded EB-29A bomber and two EF-84B fighters docked to it. The fighters were attached to the bomber by the wingtips with flexible mounts. The entire structure was extremely unstable, and its aerodynamics left much to be desired. After several incidents, the project was closed.
During the Vietnam War, the US Air Force used AQM-34 Firebee reconnaissance drones launched from a DC-130 control aircraft. After reconnaissance, Firebee released a parachute and a multipurpose helicopter picked them up in the air.
In the USSR, a project of a kind of two-stage bomber was considered. A supersonic bomber RS with a flight speed of up to 3000 km / h was to be placed in the Tu-95N cargo compartment in a semi-submerged state. After dropping the RS outside the enemy's air defense zone, the Tu-95N returned to the airfield, and the RS bomber carried out a supersonic throw to the target at an altitude of 30,000 meters, after which it independently returned to the base. The development of the project was stopped at the stage of creating the modernized Tu-95N carrier aircraft.
After that, the projects of aircraft carriers fell into oblivion for a long time.
In the 21st century, the active introduction of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) begins in the air forces of the leading countries of the world. In fact, it is more correct to call them remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), since the main tasks are most often solved by an operator, sometimes located in another hemisphere of the Earth, from the place of operation of the UAV / RPV.
However, the development of automation tools allows more and more actions to be shifted to control systems, making it possible not to pilot the UAV, but to give it commands to perform certain actions.
The use of UAVs is considered both separately (singly or in groups), and in conjunction with manned combat aircraft and helicopters. The concept of joint actions with UAVs is being actively developed for F-35 fighters and AH-64D / E Apache helicopters.
One of the contenders for the role of the wingman for the F-35, F-22 and other combat aircraft was the recently demonstrated XQ-58A Valkyrie UAV from Kratos. This UAV has a wingspan of 8.2 m, its length is 9.1 m. The combat load weighing 272 kg can be located on the external sling and in the internal compartments. The drone is capable of flying at altitudes up to 13, 7 thousand metro and belongs to the class of transonic vehicles with a long flight range. The XQ-58A Valkyrie UAV project is considered one of the closest to being put into service.
Another project of a slave UAV is being developed by Boeing. The flight range should be about 3700 km. It is planned to work together with such aircraft as the F-35, EA-18G, F / A-18E / F fighters, the E-7 early warning aircraft (AWACS), and the P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft. Initially, the UAVs are assigned the tasks of reconnaissance and electronic warfare (EW). The development and production of UAVs is expected to be deployed in Australia to circumvent export procedures required by US law.
In Russia, the role of the slave is tipped for the promising Hunter UAV. Presumably, the Okhotnik UAV will be able to operate in conjunction with the fifth generation Su-57 fighter. It should be noted that the use of UAVs as slaves for fighters or AWACS aircraft may become the most realistic scenario for the Russian Air Force at the present time. The lack of global high-speed satellite communication channels limits the flight range of Russian UAVs when controlled from ground points, and the use of an air platform as a command post will significantly expand their range.
Thus, it can be considered that the concept of interaction between manned aircraft and helicopters with UAVs is one of the most promising areas for the development of the Air Force. But what does this have to do with aircraft carriers?
In September 2015, DARPA announced the Gremlins program. The essence of the program is the creation of compact reusable multifunctional UAVs that can be placed on air carriers - C-17, C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and B-52 Stratofortress, B-1B Lancer bombers, and later on tactical aircraft. Four companies were involved in the development: Composite Engineering, Dynetics, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Lockheed Martin.
General Atomics Aeronautical presented a mock-up of a UAV under the Gremlins program in 2016. The UAV presented by General Atomics is designed to be launched from the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The drone received a folding wing and a jet engine and externally the device looks like a cruise missile of the JASSM type. Its trials are scheduled to begin in 2019.
Dynetics presented its developments under the Gremlins program in March 2019. The design of UAVs should allow them to carry various types of payloads depending on the combat mission and to participate in autonomous and group unmanned operations (as part of a "swarm"). After completing the mission, the carrier aircraft must pick up the UAV and deliver it to the operational base, where the ground crew prepares them for the next operation within 24 hours.
According to DARPPA's terms of reference, Gremlin UAVs must be capable of performing at least 20 launches from the carrier's aircraft (limited reusable design). Perhaps this figure will be corrected in the future.
How promising is this project for the Air Force? In my opinion, the potential of the Gremlins program is quite high.
One carrier based on a transport aircraft with dozens of Gremlin UAVs will be able to control a huge territory, promptly receiving information about the enemy and, if necessary, making decisions about its destruction. Potentially, Gremlin UAV groups can act as an antenna with a huge aperture for detecting subtle or distant objects.
Flocks of "Gremlins" can be used to break through enemy air defenses. In this case, part of the UAV can carry specialized ammunition, part of the electronic warfare means, if necessary, the Gremlins themselves can act as means of destruction.
As part of the ammunition of strategic bombers, Gremlin UAVs can be used for defense against enemy fighters, of course, provided they are equipped with the appropriate ammunition.
Opportunities for jamming by the enemy can be compensated for by the creation of highly secure communication channels, for example, as a backup, a one-way optical communication channel can be used using a laser beam (in case of loss of a radio channel, the coordinates of the UAV relative to the carrier can be transmitted, commands to return or exit to certain point). Improving control systems, using the capabilities of neural networks, will increase the autonomy of UAVs in terms of decision-making, reducing their dependence on human control.
It is not necessary to dwell on the need for a rigid connection between the UAV and the carrier. Potentially, various tactical groups can be implemented, for example, a tactical group consisting of an AWACS aircraft, an unmanned tanker and a group of four to eight UAVs. Such a tactical group can solve air defense missions, isolate the combat area, break through the enemy's air defense, and many others.
Thus, the aircraft carrier program, which did not receive development in the 20th century, can now be implemented at a new technological level. The interaction of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles will determine the capabilities of the air forces of the world powers at least in the first half of the 21st century.
