U.S. Navy Puts Drone Control Center On Carrier

Last week, the U.S. Navy installed the first Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) which will see unmanned vehicle pilots control drones on the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier. Unmanned vehicles like the MQ-25 Stingray are set to be piloted from the centre. The MQ-25 will allow the highly trained pilots of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, currently charged with aerial refuelling, to focus on air defence and close air support [Navy Air].

The building of the UAWC comes as the Department of Defence ramps up investment into unmanned systems. Behind the MQ-25 are unmanned assets like the fighter aircraft XQ-58A Valkyrie which are undergoing tests. 

Like the MQ-25, if the U.S. military pursues the Valkyrie, it will help take over the attrition rates usually suffered by manned jets such as the F-35. According to the manufacturer Kratos, attrition is something that the aircraft can afford due to its low cost, which is reported to be in the low millions. The potential cost savings represent a coup for the military as the loss of a manned F-35 could result in the loss of a pilot and upwards of a hundred million dollars.