 |
| There's not one, but two! An X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D) flies over USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) last week while a second X-47B sits on the flight deck. Theodore Roosevelt is the third carrier to test the tailless, unmanned autonomous aircraft's ability to integrate with the carrier environment...via NAVAIR |
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
F-35 sits on the beach while the X-47 roars at sea....
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(
Atom
)
I think the Navy has learned to do two things right now: The first is that if they want to get more Super Hornets they need to make it look like they are as committed to the F-35 program as the other services. Apparently, that's what upset everyone when they tried to negotiate the contract for 36 more Super Hornets. That was the main argument that forced the Navy to cancel the plans.
ReplyDeleteThe second thing is that the X-47B is a threat to the F-35 and the more they show it off to the press as an option for the long range deep strike role the more leverage they have against the F-35 mafia.
Here's a good question for thought that the F-35 mafia must be considering: If the Navy were to acquire the ability to purchase other aircraft while still being stuck in the program would they rather the Navy purchase a bunch more Super Hornets or a bunch of UCLASS X-47Bs? They could actually make a good argument to congress for why the F-35C would compliment the current Super Hornets in the service. Trying to make an argument about how the F-35C brings capabilities to a fleet already mixed with Super Hornets and UCLASS drones is a whole different story.
I'm honestly surprised that the F-35 mafia has not already tried to negotiate a deal with the Navy to get them to stop developing the UCLASS, like letting them buy a bunch more Super Hornets so they don't start accelerating development of a UCAV that would eliminate the need for the F-35C completely.
The F-35 Mafia is HARD at work trying to dilute the UCLASS requirements - they already lost the battle over the relatively short test program.
DeleteEveryone is always focused on the fact this jet will compete against the F-35. Has no one else noticed, or better, why does no one seem to care, that the X-47B doesn't have any unmanned competition? Where's the unmanned jet Boeing built? How in the hell did Northrop seem to lock this UCLASS up??
ReplyDelete