AN UNMANNED FUTURE FOR: NAVAL AVIATION UAV CARRIERS

摘要

As austerity and inflation continue to bite into the defence budget, the UK remains committed to two expensive programmes: the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, and the Joint Strike Fighter to fly from them. While the authors accept that the rationale for sea-launched air power remains sound, remotely piloted capabilities have already matured sufficiently, and will continue to evolve by the JSF's in-service date, to offer more efficient capability than piloted aircraft. Smaller, more numerous carriers might therefore be procured - mitigating the risk of loss and increasing the number of ships available to project UK national influence.