The U.S. Navy‘s Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike program could focus on the development of aerial refueling capabilities rather than strike and reconnaissance, Defense News reported Monday. Christopher Cavas writes that sources have indicated the planned strike and recon unmanned jets will be put on hold to make way for …
Read More »Navy Demos Common Control System on Unmanned Vehicle; Ralph Lee Comments
The U.S. Navy has conducted underwater demonstrations on a fresh common control system with an unmanned vehicle at the Puget Sound, Washington-based Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport. The system transmitted pre-planned missions to the autonomous controller of a large displacement unmanned undersea vehicle during the tests in December, the Navy …
Read More »CNO John Richardson: Carrier-Launched Drone Program Should Pick Up Pace
U.S. Chief of Naval of Operations Adm. John Richardson has pushed for speedy progress in the U.S. Navy’s effort to develop a new unmanned armed aircraft for launch from a carrier at sea, Reuters reported Monday. Richardson believes the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike program is the way forward for the …
Read More »Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker Outlines Navy’s Plans for Future Carrier-Based F-35C, MH-60R, Super Hornets
Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander of Naval Air Forces, has said the service branch expects its air carrier-based F-35C fighter jets to be operational in 2018 and plans to increase its number of onboard carriers in the next five years, DoD Buzz reported Wednesday. “The most important thing that the F-35C …
Read More »Ray Mabus: Remove Overhead, Redundancies to Move Navy Programs Forward
U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus believes budget appropriators should look at eliminating bureaucracy and overhead costs at the Defense Department rather than slashing needed defense equipment, National Defense Magazine reported Tuesday. Allyson Versprille writes that Mabus, who spoke at a recent American Enterprise Institute event, sees spending at some agencies as either …
Read More »Ray Mabus: Navy Must Maintain Tech R&D Budget
U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said at a Defense One-hosted forum Wednesday that the military service wants flexibility in how it spends federal money on weapon systems, Federal News Radio reported Wednesday. Shefali Kapadia writes Mabus added the Navy needs to gain a technological edge as security threats evolve. “That’s why …
Read More »GAO: Navy Needs to Balance UCLASS Program Budget, Requirements
The Government Accountability Office has advised the U.S. Navy to review funding and technology resources for the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance Strike aircraft development program. GAO said Monday the delay of Navy’s UCLASS program was caused by a debate over whether the future carrier-based drone’s primary mission should be surveillance …
Read More »Ray Mabus: Navy Should Embrace Autonomous Tech as ‘New Normal’
U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has said he believes the Navy’s Lockheed Martin-built F-35s should be the last type of manned aerial platform in the U.S. naval aircraft fleet, USNI News reported Wednesday. “Unmanned systems, particularly autonomous ones, have to be the new normal in ever-increasing areas,” Mabus told his audience …
Read More »John McCain Calls for Different Requirements to Move UCLASS Program Forward
Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has asked Defense Secretary Ashton Carter to prioritize the Unmanned Carrier Launched Surveillance and Strike program, Breaking Defense reported Tuesday. Colin Clark writes that the program has faced delays over concerns on the balance of requirements in weapons payload size, operational range …
Read More »US Navy Postpones UCLASS Program Competition Until FY 2016; William Lescher Comments
The U.S. Navy has moved to complete a requirements review for the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance Strike program and postpone competition until fiscal 2016, Reuters reported Monday. Rear Adm. William Lescher, deputy assistant secretary for budget at the Navy, told reporters the carrier-based unmanned strike and surveillance aircraft is expected …
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