Navy sets stiff test for UCAV carrier ops | Aviation International News

Navy sets stiff test for UCAV carrier ops

We all know that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) present operational challenges, and making them into stealthy, tailless jets and asking them to do combat

By Chris Pocock • Defense Correspondent

June 9, 2009

We all know that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) present operational challenges, and making them into stealthy, tailless jets and asking them to do combat is even more challenging. But what about an unmanned stealthy tailless combat jet that must take off and land on an aircraft carrier?

That is the challenge of the U.S. Navy Unmanned Combat Air System (Navy-UCAS) program, and a team led by Northrop Grumman is trying to meet it with the X-47B, which is due to fly later this year and go to sea in late 2011.

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