In the context of the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Palestine conflict, the extensive use of drones in combat has demonstrated their remarkable effectiveness. Drones have now become a hot topic for development and deployment across the globe. To bolster its maritime combat capabilities and secure air superiority at sea, the U.S. Navy has accelerated the development of various types of carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drawing widespread attention.
1. Current Status
From the perspective of platform and size, naval UAVs can be categorized into submarine-launched drones, carrier-based drones, and drone swarms that can be launched via airdrop, carrier, or coastal vehicles. The U.S. was the first country to develop and deploy drones in combat. Over the years, the U.S. military has laid out a series of specialized plans to provide long-term, comprehensive, and sustained guidance for the development of its UAVs. As a result, the U.S. military has established a UAV system that covers high, medium, and low altitudes, as well as large, medium, and small platforms, ranging from strategic to tactical levels.
As early as the 1960s, the U.S. began developing and deploying the first carrier-based unmanned anti-submarine helicopter, the QH-50, marking the origin of carrier-based drones. This initiative was part of the U.S. Navy’s “Fleet Modernization” program, primarily aimed at upgrading aging destroyers. However, when the Navy decided to abandon the old ship upgrades, the UAV development plan was also terminated, though it laid the groundwork for future carrier-based UAVs.
In the early 1980s, the U.S. Navy deployed the Israeli Mastiff light UAV on the amphibious assault ship USS Guam for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance missions, representing the early form of carrier-based UAVs. From the early 21st century, the U.S. Navy and Air Force focused on developing high-performance future unmanned combat aircraft, eventually selecting the Northrop Grumman X-47B. On May 14, 2013, the X-47B successfully conducted its first catapult launch test aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), marking the first time the U.S. Navy launched a large unmanned combat aircraft from a carrier, setting a new record in aviation history. The X-47B became the first stealth unmanned bomber capable of launching and landing on an aircraft carrier without human intervention, fully controlled by computers. However, the U.S. Navy later abandoned plans to deploy the X-47B on carriers due to performance issues.
Currently, the U.S. Navy has developed several relatively mature carrier-based UAV models:
(1) MQ-25 Stingray Drone: Initially developed as an aerial refueling drone for the U.S. Navy, the MQ-25 is said to have an endurance of over 14 hours and can conduct refueling operations within a 900km range. Requiring only eight sorties per day, the MQ-25 can ensure at least four drones are airborne at any given time, significantly enhancing the operational radius and sortie rate of U.S. carrier-based aircraft. The MQ-25 features a robust, nearly triangular rear wing and is equipped with electro-optical sensors, providing limited surveillance capabilities. A wide-angle camera mounted on the aircraft’s nose aids in deck operations. The U.S. Navy has conducted multiple flight tests with the MQ-25, preparing for its operational deployment. In August 2021, the Navy announced that the MQ-25 had completed aerial refueling trials.
Boeing’s MQ-25 Stingray drone conducts ground testing at Chambers Field
MQ-8C Fire Scout
MQ-9B Sea Guardian
(2) MQ-8C Fire Scout: In 1998, the U.S. Navy issued a competitive demonstration program for the development of a new generation of vertical takeoff and landing tactical UAVs (VTUAV). In 2012, Northrop Grumman developed the MQ-8C based on the Bell 407 airframe, earning the recognition of the U.S. military. The MQ-8C is capable of conducting beyond-visual-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. In June 2024, the MQ-8C Fire Scout completed its first round of “dynamic interaction” tests, also known as “shipboard compatibility” tests, aboard the USS Hershel “Woody” Williams. The MQ-8C has a maximum takeoff weight of 2,700 kilograms, an endurance of 11-14 hours, and a payload capacity of 450 kilograms, allowing it to carry Hellfire missiles. The MQ-8C is currently deployed on the USS Milwaukee (LCS-5) and supports operations of the U.S. Navy’s Fourth Fleet.
(3) MQ-9B Sea Guardian: A maritime version of the MQ-9 Reaper UAV, the MQ-9B Sea Guardian is one of the latest products in the MQ-9 series, offering outstanding performance in integrated ISR and strike missions. The MQ-9B has a wingspan of 24 meters, a top speed of 370 km/h, a maximum range of over 10,000 kilometers, and an endurance of nearly 50 hours, allowing it to evade field air defenses and man-portable air defense systems. The MQ-9B’s capabilities emphasize range and endurance, making it a formidable platform for delivering devastating strikes against ground forces and light armored units using its GBU-12 laser-guided bombs and AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles.
2. Future Development
For a long time, the general approach to weapon development has been “demand-driven, technology-pushed.” To better meet future maritime and aerial combat needs, the U.S. Navy has never stopped upgrading and improving the capabilities of carrier-based UAVs, with future developments focusing on the following areas:
(1) Maximizing Combat Potential: Initially, carrier-based UAVs had limited missions. However, with evolving combat environments and advancements in network and AI technologies, the U.S. has set higher demands for these UAVs, requiring them to perform more maritime combat tasks. To this end, the U.S. Navy is continually upgrading UAVs, leveraging high-tech to fully exploit their combat potential and transform them into versatile “airborne multitaskers.”
To address shortcomings in maritime mine-clearing, the U.S. Navy is focusing on developing unmanned combat platforms, including UAVs. The Navy’s Office of Research has tested a new UAV system equipped with advanced sensors, such as magnetic locators and Sky Glass ground-penetrating radar, capable of detecting enemy minefields in shallow waters from the air. The Navy is also developing new mine detection sensor packages for the MQ-8C Fire Scout UAV to locate sea mines, landmines, and obstacles in coastal areas.
The MQ-25 Stingray, originally designed as an unmanned aerial refueling tanker to support carrier-based aircraft like the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, will soon be equipped with Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM), as announced by Boeing at the 2024 Aerospace Conference. This development suggests that the MQ-25 will not only serve as a refueling and ISR platform but could also take on airstrike missions, filling the gap left by the canceled X-47B carrier-based strike drone.
The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is currently undergoing extensive upgrades, including the addition of a sonobuoy deployment system for anti-submarine warfare. Future developments may integrate advanced computing and data link technologies to enable “networked targeting,” allowing faster attack response times.
(2) Enhancing Joint Operational Capabilities: The U.S. Navy views multi-service, multi-domain, and multinational integrated joint operations as the primary combat model for the future. As a crucial component of naval equipment and an extension of maritime combat power, UAVs must be seamlessly integrated into the joint operational network to continually improve their joint operational capabilities.
The U.S. Navy has expressed a commitment to advancing unmanned systems development with a long-term goal of integrating these systems into underwater, surface, and aerial combat operations. The “2017-2042 Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap,” released by the U.S. Department of Defense in August 2018, emphasized the importance of integrating unmanned systems into combat networks. The Navy’s “Unmanned Campaign Framework,” released in March 2021, further called for the acceleration of integrating unmanned combat capabilities into joint operational systems, stating that “the integrated use of underwater, surface, and aerial unmanned platforms with traditional naval forces is crucial to winning future conflicts among great powers.”
Currently, the U.S. military is exploring the joint anti-submarine capabilities of the MQ-9B Sea Guardian UAV with combat ships and P-8A aircraft using the Link 16 data link. This effort aims to build a joint long-range anti-ship strike network for the U.S. Navy and its allies, connecting MQ-9s with E-2D Hawkeye aircraft. The MQ-9 is already capable of sharing maritime intelligence with anti-submarine patrol aircraft and surface ships via the Link 16 data link.
During the 2024 RIMPAC exercise, the U.S. Navy deployed the MQ-9B Sea Guardian UAV, networking it with other participating ships and aircraft using the Link 16 data link. The exercise reportedly achieved ideal results in maritime intelligence transmission and sharing. Concurrently, U.S. research institutions are actively developing collaborative combat software systems suitable for unmanned combat systems, with DARPA’s “Collaborative Operations in Denied Environments” (CODE) project garnering particular attention. This project aims to expand the capabilities of existing UAVs, with future applications on Navy unmanned platforms, enhancing the C3 “seamless integration” of unmanned and manned systems for dynamic, long-range combat missions in contested or denied environments.
(3) Increasing Unmanned Carrier-Based Aircraft Proportion: The initial purpose of developing carrier-based UAVs for the U.S. Navy was to supplement the insufficient number of carrier-based aircraft and reduce the burden and casualties among carrier-based pilots. However, combat experience has shown that UAVs offer unique battlefield advantages in reducing personnel casualties, extending combat range, executing high-risk missions, and achieving surprise in operations. With the rapid advancement of AI and computer network technologies, the status of UAVs in the U.S. Navy has risen quickly, shifting from a supporting role to a more central one.
At the “2023 Sea Air Space” conference, senior U.S. Navy officials revealed that future carrier-based aircraft might be 60% unmanned. This statement indicates significant changes in the composition of future carrier air wings. According to foreign reports, the U.S. Navy is planning to transform all surface vessels into platforms for carrier-based UAV operations, effectively making them “drone carriers.” On May 22, 2024, DARPA announced that its “Advanced No-Ground Facility Launch and Recovery Unmanned Aerial Vehicle” (ANCILLARY) project had reached a critical stage. The ANCILLARY project aims to develop a new type of vertical takeoff and landing UAV that does not require launch and recovery assistance equipment and can operate from ship decks or ground in various weather conditions. Due to its low infrastructure dependence, the Navy could convert existing surface ships into UAV carriers by making appropriate modifications, significantly increasing the number of UAVs deployed on Navy vessels and the proportion of unmanned carrier-based aircraft.
The U.S. Department of Defense believes that “unmanned” capabilities could provide naval fleets with stronger “anti-access/area denial” (A2/AD) combat capabilities. To meet the command and control needs of current aircraft carriers and future UAV carriers, the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command announced on August 15, 2024, that it had integrated the world’s first “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Warfare Center” (UAWC) on the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77). This center aims to serve as the nerve center for carrier-based unmanned combat operations, controlling MQ-25 Stingray UAVs and future “Collaborative Combat Aircraft” (CCA). The Navy plans to integrate UAWCs on all Nimitz-class and Ford-class carriers, including the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). Additionally, other Navy warships, particularly large amphibious assault ships, may also be equipped with UAWCs or similar control centers. As carrier-based UAVs and related equipment become increasingly widespread, the U.S. Navy’s proportion of unmanned carrier-based aircraft is expected to rise significantly, ultimately forming a “distributed” unmanned maritime combat system.
3. Challenges Ahead
Despite the considerable progress made in U.S. Navy UAV development, achieving full UAV dominance in future maritime and aerial battlefields remains a long road. The development and deployment of carrier-based UAVs still face several unresolved challenges.
(1) Multi-Service Joint Operations: Currently, U.S. Navy UAVs primarily operate on single platforms or limited joint platforms. Integrating naval UAVs into a joint operational system with other services’ UAVs in maritime and aerial combat still faces data integration challenges and does not fully meet the needs of future multi-service joint operations. Recently, U.S. Fourth Fleet Commander Jim Aiken stated at the annual Sea Air Space Expo that U.S. researchers have not yet developed the capability to integrate air, sea, and land-based UAV systems into a unified network. Several recent tests have been unsuccessful. He pointed out, “We didn’t even realize the amount of data that needs to be processed; this is one of the main issues we face today.” Aiken emphasized the need to create new tools and methods to turn isolated UAV and unmanned vessel tests into true “hybrid fleet” trials, integrating these discrete tactical elements into an organically unified combat force. The U.S. Navy aims to standardize all unmanned platforms it uses, regardless of size or operational domain.
(2) Volume and Space Constraints: As UAVs take on more missions, their payloads have increased, leading to larger UAVs. The growing size of UAVs conflicts with the limited deck space on ships, affecting parking and takeoff/landing operations. Most medium-to-large military UAVs currently require specific conditions for takeoff and landing, and some even need auxiliary equipment to complete these tasks. Failure to address parking and takeoff/landing issues could significantly limit UAVs’ operational effectiveness. Although some carrier-based UAVs have adopted foldable wings, tailless designs, and other features to reduce size and make structures more compact, and even smaller UAVs have undergone foldable modifications, the emergence of long-range, heavy-payload carrier-based UAVs has introduced new storage challenges for related ships. To maximize the effectiveness of such UAVs, more advanced storage technologies must be adopted, and UAV payload modularization should be advanced to achieve a synergistic “1+1>2” effect with manned carrier-based aircraft.
(3) Improving Flight Performance: Future carrier-based UAVs will need to operate at increasingly longer ranges and higher speeds while meeting the requirements of future maritime and aerial combat. Complex maritime conditions will also significantly impact UAV flight. Moving from the current state of “being able to fly” to “flying well” in the future will require not only advancements in command and control systems but also higher standards for UAV propulsion systems. The U.S. Navy’s ongoing ANCILLARY project faces propulsion technology challenges, as it plans to use a hybrid electric propulsion system equipped with high-density batteries or fuel cells. The challenge lies in maintaining electric propulsion and vertical takeoff/landing capabilities while overcoming the limitations of battery energy density, posing a significant test for UAV design. Larger airframes may struggle with propulsion, while smaller ones may be limited in mission execution.
(4) Environmental Adaptation: The complex and variable maritime environment presents significant challenges for carrier-based UAVs, including high temperatures, humidity, mold, and salt fog. Larger UAVs with longer ranges will carry more payloads for extended periods in these environments, requiring higher corrosion resistance in the materials used for UAV construction, as well as higher standards for payload performance and UAV flight control systems.
Conclusion
As a new combat platform, UAVs are increasingly becoming a “force multiplier” for U.S. naval power. Despite the technical challenges faced in their development and deployment, the U.S. Navy’s pursuit of “unmanned” maritime warfare will not easily waver. In the future, carrier-based UAVs in the U.S. Navy are likely to transition from a supporting role to the primary force in securing air superiority at sea.
