The Pentagon has signed a contract with AAI Corporation to develop a complex of onboard sensors for unmanned aircraft, which will detect and attack submerged submarines, surface ships, perform the full spectrum of attack aircraft work and take part in electronic warfare operations.
AAI specialists plan to create an integrated system of acoustic, electro-optical, radar, magnetic and other sensors. First of all, it is planned to equip it with UAVs for operations over the sea, but it will allow to carry out tasks and to defeat ground targets. Probably, this is another step towards creating an unmanned aerial complex for basing on aircraft carriers and replacing the outdated P-3 Orion naval patrol aircraft.
Such a picture can be seen on the deck of American aircraft carriers in 10 years.
The United States is systematically working on the implementation of effective unmanned systems in the Navy. Last year, active testing of the naval version of the ScanEagle UAV began. Equipped with a magnetic anomaly detector and launched from a ship, the small aircraft is capable of long-term low-level patrols, detecting and covertly following submerged submarines. An unmanned aircraft has a number of advantages that are important for the navy. In addition to solving the extremely important task of protecting American ships from submarines, UAVs are capable of operating at a great distance from coastal bases. This provides greater situational awareness and the ability to proactively react to enemy maneuvers.
Currently, the US Navy is working on the creation of an attack UAV based on board an aircraft carrier. This will significantly expand the capabilities of aircraft carrier strike groups. First of all, thanks to the range of action of unmanned aircraft, the aircraft carrier will be able to strike within a radius of several thousand kilometers. Also, one aircraft carrier will be able to accommodate 1, 5-2 times more unmanned aerial vehicles compared to manned, as a result, the aviation group will increase to 150-200 aircraft, which will allow one aircraft carrier to deliver massive airstrikes that can suppress the defense of a small state. New opportunities will also appear, for example, the UAV can fly up to 10 thousand km without landing and refueling, which will make it possible to compensate for the losses of an aircraft carrier directly from the territory of the United States.
A prototype of the first X-47B drone for aircraft carriers is scheduled to take off in December 2010.
