With the innovative inclusion of a helicopter command centre aboard its supercarriers, the US is taking full advantage of the future of naval war.
The USS George H. W. Bush ( CVN-77 ), a US Navy supercarrier, recently received a dedicated Unmanned Air Warfare Center ( UAWC), making it the first ship of its kind to incorporate such a facility. The report was made available this month in The War Zone.
According to the War Zone report, the UAWC serves as the administrative hub for innovative unmanned aircraft, including the MQ-25 Stingray ship drones and upcoming cooperative fight aircraft (CCA ).
It points out that this development is a part of the US Navy’s wider strategy to integrate UAWCs across all Nimitz and Ford-class companies. The US Navy and Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works collaborated to create the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System ( UMCS) MD-5E Ground Control Station ( GCS), according to the report.
The MQ-25’s main objective is to increase the carrier’s weather aircraft’s achieve while reducing the need for F/A-18E/F Super Hornet combatants for refueling tasks, according to The War Zone.
The report mentions that, despite delays and cost overruns since Boeing’s 2018 Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System ( CBARS ) program win, the US Navy aims for a 2026 initial operational capability with plans to acquire 76 MQ-25 drones.
It states that USS George H. W. Bush will begin conducting at-sea operations on the UAWC’s operational networks in the first quarter of 2012, following on from the USS Abraham Lincoln ( CVN-72 ).
The integration of unmanned aerial systems ( UAS ) on ships like the USS George H. W. Bush highlights the growing need for advanced aerial refueling capabilities, particularly for the Indo-Pacific’s extreme distances and given the region’s changing threats.
A large distance in the Indo-Pacific makes flying fuel skills important, according to Asia Times in February 2023. Geographical length problems may reduce a stronger government over a more potent opponent who fights on its home carpet.
The US struggles to win wars far from its territories and faces challenges from anti-access/area denial ( A2/AD ) capabilities. Aerial refueling is becoming more important for conquering operating difficulties, which are made worse by the spread of large distances and the rise in force projection in the Indo-Pacific.
The US flying tanker ship, which is aging, needs more space to compete with Russia and China. It is crucial for keeping combat aviation in the Indo-Pacific place operating from remote air bases. Aerial recharging makes combat missions reach more than 8, 000 kilometers and necessitates fighter escorts to safeguard the large and fragile ship aircraft.
Making it difficult for regular flying tankers to work close to China’s coast, China has developed long-range air-to-air missiles like the PL-17 that may reach flying tankers at standoff ranges.
So, stealthy, small, unmanned aerial ships can fly close to numerous civilian and military airfields and close to densely defended areas of the sky.
The MQ-25 Stingray is set to take over cargo operations from the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, freeing up Super Hornet trip time. By increasing the aeroplane range and load to run in and reach China’s A2/AD bubbles, this is a part of a wider plan to increase the effectiveness of US airpower in the Pacific.
A stealthy, unmanned aerial tanker could complement the US ‘ upcoming airpower systems, such as the Next Generation Air Dominance ( NGAD ) 6th-generation fighter and B-21 Raider stealth bomber, by refueling them for extended missions.
In new discussions, attention has been drawn on implementing CCAs as a crucial step in protecting air superiority from advanced threats, building on the already proper emphasis on aerial refueling capabilities.
Mark Gunzinger and Lawrence Stutzriem make a point in a Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies report from February 2024 that the US needs to acquire CCAs to protect its air quality from innovative challenges like China.
Gunzinger and Lawrence advocate for a combined fleet of manned and uncrewed aircraft, harnessing recent developments in freedom and AI to successfully work in tense situations. They highlight the potential of CCA to act as power bonuses, enhancing the mortality, endurance and power of air supremacy operations.
They suggest that carrier-based CCAs may destroy attack heat defenses and offer a cost-effective way to increase the US’s atmosphere fight capabilities.
They urge immediate action to incorporate CCAs into the US Air Force’s force design, stressing that the current, aging aircraft fleet is insufficient to stop the People’s Liberation Army’s ( PLA ) rapid modernization.
Gunzinger and Lawrence point out the importance of a sensible approach to modernizing air war, underscoring the need for a healthy approach to 5th and 6th-generation soldiers rather than replacing them.
The US Navy’s wider perspective for uncrewed plane, which includes the agency’s plan to unmanage a sizable portion of its provider air wings, is a further boost to this push for CCAs.
In April 2023, The War Zone reported that the US Navy is steering its future carrier air wings to comprise 60 % uncrewed aircraft, as Rear Admiral Andrew” Bucket” Loiselle revealed at a recent Sea-Air-Space conference.
This tactical choice aligns with the wider NGAD programme, which places a premium on innovative drones and crewed secrecy combat jets of the 6th generation. It claims that integrating the MD-5 UMCS on three providers will give the company the opportunity to have control over any UAS purchases.
According to the War Zone report, the US Navy and Air Force work closely together to ensure common control of their CCAs. It mentions that the MQ-25 Stingray, with its ISR capabilities, is set to increase operational freedom by enabling soft power move between assets of both military branches.
The War Zone information that this change is a proper choice in light of the nature of warfare, which calls for a new perspective on carrier strike group performance because of longer ranges and disputed spaces.
China is also expanding its maritime capabilities as the US Navy transitions toward a future dominated by unmanned aircraft, as evidenced by the start of the first dedicated helicopter aircraft carrier ever.
In May 2024, Asia Times reported that China had launched the country’s first dedicated helicopter aircraft carrier, a strategic shift that could drastically affect the Indo-Pacific’s naval power relationships.
This innovative vessel, built at the Jiangsu Dayang Marine shipyard on the Yangtze River, is designed to operate cost-effectively with unmanned aerial vehicles ( UAVs ) in potential conflict scenarios, including those involving the US.
The company’s design is smaller, with a sailboat hull and a small trip deck for big fixed-wing UAVs. By building high-tech target barges and drone motherships, China has used this new ship to simulate American maritime capabilities.
The introduction of China’s aircraft carrier coincides with the growing use of robots in marine combat, which offer a cost-effective option for powerful projection and significant capabilities at a fraction of the price of conventional carriers.