The U.S. Navy’s New Capabilities

The U.S. Navy’s New Capabilities

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Commander of American naval air forces, Vice Admiral Mike Shoemaker, has revealed the United States’ vision for the future carrier-based air forc. Among other things, he’s mentioned stealth fighters, unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters that can detect submarines at sea and laser weapons.

In the upcoming years the carrier air wing of the American fleet will upgrade its existing technologies as well as present new capabilities. The F-35 stealth fighter, which launches off of carriers, will be operated in the next decade and provide important additional capabilities to the plane carrier’s attack force. According to Shoemaker, the most important thing that a stealth fighter can provide is to pick up the electronic signals in the environment and fuse them into a complete picture to provide to the attack force.

The submarine hunting technology of the upgraded MH-60R helicopter is a critical component in the future of the air force. The helicopter comes with an anti-submarine warfare system – a low frequency radar, an advance detection system combined with a database, radar system and a forward-looking infra-red sensor.

The navy is also expecting the arrival of a first-of-a-kind UAV launched out of a carrier, which is due on 2025. The UAV is called the Unmanned Carrier Launch Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) and is designed for long duration surveillance. It could operate in hostile environments and offer the commander of the attack force information before they move into the area. You might say this UAV will be the force’s eyes and ears.

The U.S. military is continuing to undergo significant upgrades. In fact, experts estimate that the next generation of airborne and seaborne vehicles will be unmanned, as they are cheaper, more efficient and operating them poses no risk to crew members’ lives.

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