Forum: Drones

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US Navy issues BAA for carrier-borne UAS

By Richard Scott

4/6/2011

The US Navy (USN) has taken the next step towards its ambitious goal of fielding a stealthy carrier-borne unmanned combat aircraft system by the end of this decade with the release of a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for its projected Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) system.

The BAA, issued by the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on 28 March, is to support pre-Milestone A programme activities, including crafting an analysis of alternatives, developing the concept of operations and system requirements documents, and analysing potential material solutions to meet a goal for operational capability in the 2018 timeframe. Proposals are required no later than 29 April.

Plans for UCLASS were first revealed in March 2010 when the USN issued an initial request for information (RfI) for a carrier-based system providing persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and strike capabilities. This move came in response to a need identified by Vice Admiral David Dorsett, the deputy chief of naval operations for information dominance (N2/N6), to give carrier-based aviation a new degree of versatility in long-range combat operations.

Last year's RfI described a notional system that would include four to six air vehicles, each capable of flying for 11 to 14 hours from a nuclear-powered carrier (CVN) without refuelling, plus mission control interfaces (afloat and ashore), sensor payloads, weapon interfaces and personnel.

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I'd imagine that going "lost link" when the bird is on short final to the carrier would be a little sporty. I would have to think that the Emergency Mission would include a "power up and go around" option.

TC wrote:

... going "lost link" when the bird is on short final ..

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/cv- ... cas-03557/

...X-47B avionics and software, then used as a test bed to develop a fully integrated aircraft/carrier auto-landing system. The Navy is hoping to perform manned but “hands-off” approaches and landings on an aircraft carrier within 2 years,.... Smile

Which is fine, yes, if you don't lose the line of sight connection. If you do, then auto landing won't do you any good. But, I'm sure that this is a contingency that they've thought of.

There's a significant concern regarding "lost link" when these things transit civil airspace.

There you are in coach class, 17D, on your way to Grandma's for Thanksgiving, when this dark shape flashes past the window. Shocked

OL

Yeah, that's why the FAA has been very hesitant to allow them to operate in more areas of the CONUS. There are safeguards against this sort of thing happening, but we all know how the public and the media like to shoot from the hip on matters such as this. Plus, could you imagine the reaction of the tinfoil hat bunch out there if they knew Preds or Reapers would be flying over their heads. Heck, they'd be operating microwave brain-fying devices, or shooting out rays to suck out (so to speak) one's thoughts.