Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike

Lore & Background

The UCLASS program had several competing designs: Northrop Grumman based its entry on the X-47B demonstrator; Lockheed Martin offered the Sea Ghost, derived from the RQ-170 Sentinel; Boeing based its design on the Phantom Ray; and General Atomics proposed the Sea Avenger, a naval version of the land-based MQ-20 Avenger. On 19 March 2010 the Navy issued a Request for Information for planning purposes. On 9 June 2011 the Joint Requirements Oversight Council approved the Initial Capabilities Document, which stated UCLASS was to be 'a persistent, survivable carrier-based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance and precision strike asset.' On 19 December 2012 the JROC published memoranda that significantly altered the requirements, heavily favoring permissive airspace ISR capabilities. The change appeared to be budget-driven; Dyke Weatherington, the Pentagon’s Director of Unmanned Warfare & ISR, said the reduction in strike capability was born of fiscal realities. On 14 August 2013 the Navy awarded four $15 million Preliminary Design Review contracts to Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. The period of performance was approximately nine months. The Navy planned to arm the UCLASS with weapons from the carrier air wing's inventory, including Joint Direct Attack Munitions, and hinted at using it as a 'flying missile magazine' for air-to-air engagements, remotely operated by an E-2D Hawkeye or F-35C flight leader.

Reader's Guide

The UCLASS program is significant as a major U.S. Navy effort to develop a carrier-based unmanned combat aerial vehicle, but it was marked by controversy over shifting requirements. Originally conceived as a stealthy, long-range strike platform with a large payload and aerial refueling capability, the requirements were altered in December 2012 to emphasize ISR over lightly contested airspace with a light secondary strike mission and no air refueling requirement, promoting affordability over survivability and endurance. Congress and industry agreed that the Navy deviated significantly from the normal aircraft development process; for nearly three years companies developed candidates with company funds without guidance from the service. The Navy did not issue performance specifications until spring 2013. Endurance requirements of over 12 hours were especially hard to meet. The program ultimately did not produce an operational aircraft; the Pentagon changed it into the Carrier-Based Aerial-Refueling System, leading to the Boeing MQ-25 Stingray. The legacy of UCLASS includes the demonstration of carrier-based unmanned operations via the X-47B and the evolution of requirements that shaped subsequent naval unmanned aviation programs.

Did You Know?

• The X-47B demonstrator launched from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush on May 14, 2013.
• The UCLASS program had four competing designs: Northrop Grumman X-47B-based, Lockheed Martin Sea Ghost, Boeing Phantom Ray-based, and General Atomics Sea Avenger.
• The UCLASS was considered for use as a 'flying missile magazine' in air-to-air engagements, remotely operated by an E-2D Hawkeye or F-35C.