The various unmanned attack boats developed by Ukraine have caused heavy losses to the Russian Navy, which has led many people to consider the application prospects of unmanned systems in the naval field. Unmanned carrier based aircraft are emerging.
The MQ-25 Stingray unmanned carrier based aircraft that the US Navy is about to equip will provide aerial refueling support for other carrier based aircraft. Not only can it avoid the embarrassment of using F/A-18E/F carrier based fighter jets for “partner refueling”, but it also reduces the requirements for carrier based pilots. The MQ-25 adopts a stealth design, which has inspired the US Navy to have it perform more tasks, such as utilizing its stealth capabilities for reconnaissance and electronic warfare missions. Due to the open architecture of the aircraft, replacing onboard equipment is relatively simple, making subsequent modifications a logical process.
The MQ-25 was only adjusted from a logistics position to a combat position, while the Chinese Navy’s Attack-11 unmanned combat aircraft is a “born warrior”. US military experts say that the Attack-11 is the world’s first unmanned aerial vehicle, and its importance is self-evident. At the Zhuhai Airshow, the Attack-11 model showcased its internal bomb bay design. The Attack-11 carrier based fighter will become an important assistant for the J-15 and J-35 carrier based fighters, performing more dangerous ground and ship attack missions and avoiding the risks of “golden” pilots.
Of course, the problem faced by the Attack-11 unmanned carrier based aircraft is the same as that of “loyal wingmen”, as their combat effectiveness is constrained by the level of artificial intelligence. Since the Attack-11 has already boarded the ship, it indicates that it has a very high level of combat capability and can fully handle it independently. It will completely change the composition and combat methods of traditional aircraft carrier based aircraft units, and its impact will be even more profound.
In addition to large unmanned carrier based aircraft such as the Attack-11, there are also multiple small unmanned aerial vehicles that have been tested on Chinese Navy aircraft carriers and destroyers. These drones basically have vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, and can perform various tasks such as reconnaissance, anti submarine, electronic warfare, communication relay, etc. depending on the onboard equipment, playing an important role at critical nodes.
The Navy’s most mysterious submarine fleet has also welcomed unmanned underwater vehicles, whose existence is even more secretive.
The US Navy is planning to equip five “Orca” super large unmanned underwater vehicles (XLUUVs), which are approximately 26 meters long, have a displacement of 80 tons, and a maximum depth of over 3300 meters. The maximum underwater speed is 8 knots, the cruising speed is 3 knots, the range exceeds 11000 kilometers, and the autonomous navigation time can last for several months.
Although the US Navy currently only intends for the “Orca” to carry out mine laying missions, in the future, it will perform tasks such as mine sweeping, electronic warfare, and underwater surveillance by replacing the payload module. If equipped with synthetic aperture radar, the “killer whale” will be able to map the seabed with extremely high concealment, which is crucial for the US submarine fleet.
The technology content of unmanned systems equipped by navies of various countries is higher, and the accompanying risks are also higher. It is difficult to avoid the situation of being confiscated by the “Dragon King”. If there is a lack of technology, even if high tuition fees are paid, it is likely to only receive a blank sheet, which is determined by the special nature of the navy.
The cost of unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned submersibles equipped by the navy will be very high, which fully conforms to the tradition of the navy’s “gold swallowing beast”.
All kinds of unmanned systems and weapons have just been put into service, showing some shock through the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and still need to be improved and perfected for a long time.
There will never be a perfect weapon, and any weapon system serves a determined combat ideology and system, integrating with each other through appropriate communication methods to truly play its role.
After the addition of unmanned systems, many existing problems will be solved, and at the same time, many new problems will arise. How to carry out higher-level integration is a test of the overall strength of the country.