US Navy Seeks '8-in-1' Carrier Drones for Attrition Warfare

The U.S. Navy is rapidly advancing its carrier strike group unmanned capabilities, initiating a "drone revolution" to prepare for high-intensity, large-scale conflicts. The Navy released a "Request for Information" (RFI) on July 14, seeking proposals for a new generation of carrier-based unmanned aircraft systems. This new drone family is envisioned to be an "8-in-1" system, capable of performing a wide array of missions including air combat, anti-submarine warfare, and aerial refueling, signaling a strategic shift towards a "drone attrition warfare" model.

According to Defense News, the Navy's RFI explicitly states that the future unmanned systems, whether single-mission, multi-functional, or modular, must be able to execute eight core tasks. These include striking enemy surface vessels, destroying ground targets, conducting anti-submarine operations, engaging enemy aircraft or missiles in air-to-air combat, performing electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), providing aerial refueling, and executing fleet logistics and supply missions. The U.S. military openly admits that future "attritable air wings" will be primarily composed of affordable, mass-producible drones to withstand the brutal attrition of future high-intensity conflicts.

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The future 'attritable air wings' will be primarily composed of affordable, mass-producible drones to withstand the brutal attrition of future high-intensity conflicts.

To maintain strike capabilities beyond the carrier's defensive perimeter, the Navy has set stringent requirements for this drone family. When performing strike missions, the drones must have a minimum range of 1,000 nautical miles (approximately 1,852 kilometers) and possess a high degree of "flight autonomy" and "mission autonomy." This implies that the drones must autonomously handle deck taxiing, takeoff, and aerial refueling on "Ford-class" and "Nimitz-class" nuclear-powered aircraft carriers without human intervention. Furthermore, they must be able to automatically evade threats and alter operational missions in real-time in response to battlefield conditions.

The application of drone technology will extend beyond aircraft carriers. The Navy is actively seeking innovative "vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL)" drone concepts that can operate from vessels lacking traditional flight decks. In the future, surface combatants such as Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Expeditionary Mobile Base ships will be able to deploy these drones, which will be equipped for anti-submarine, strike, and reconnaissance missions. This widespread deployment will distribute the unmanned combat network across the entire maritime task force, significantly enhancing fleet survivability. In anticipation of potential military conflicts, the Pentagon has mandated that bidding defense contractors detail their production models to support rapid scaling and flexible capacity expansion during emergency mobilization. They must also ensure that the recurring flight costs and subsequent maintenance budgets for each drone remain within affordable limits for the military. The Pentagon also requires this new drone family to be perfectly compatible with the U.S. military's existing unmanned carrier aircraft control systems, with simplified maintenance procedures to seamlessly integrate into the existing global naval supply chain.

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This implies that the drones must autonomously handle deck taxiing, takeoff, and aerial refueling on 'Ford-class' and 'Nimitz-class' nuclear-powered aircraft carriers without human intervention. Furthermore, they must be able to automatically evade threats and alter operational missions in real-time in response to battlefield conditions.