{"id":51058,"date":"2026-07-14T23:56:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T23:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2026\/07\/14\/the-us-navy-is-eyeing-next-gen-carrier-based-drones-heres-what-they-might-do\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T20:25:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T20:25:06","slug":"the-us-navy-is-eyeing-next-gen-carrier-based-drones-heres-what-they-might-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/techwatch\/2026\/07\/14\/the-us-navy-is-eyeing-next-gen-carrier-based-drones-heres-what-they-might-do\/","title":{"rendered":"The US Navy is eyeing next-gen carrier-based drones. Here\u2019s what they might do."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The U.S. Navy<\/a> is looking for a family of carrier-based<\/a> drones that can fulfill a variety of missions, according to a July 14 Request for Information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sea service<\/a> \u201cis exploring the industrial base\u2019s capacity to deliver highly capable, autonomous platforms optimized for operations from Ford-class and Nimitz-class Nuclear Aircraft Carriers,\u201d according to the RFI<\/u><\/a>. The response deadline has been set for Aug. 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drones<\/a> the service is targeting, part of the Air Wing of the Future Family of Systems, can be designed as \u201ca single-role platform, a multi-role platform, or a modular FoS [family of systems],\u201d according to the service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But whatever the solution, the Navy wants the platforms to be capable of performing eight different missions: strikes against surface ships, strikes against land targets, anti-submarine warfare, air-to-air combat against enemy aircraft and missiles, electronic warfare, ISR, aerial refueling, and resupply flights for a naval task force. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service is soliciting \u201cindustry expertise to identify a mix of platforms that can provide affordable mass, risk-tolerant platforms that can perform the above missions to counter current and emerging threats,\u201d the request states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The RFI lists a few specific requirements, including a minimum 1,000-nautical mile range for strike missions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drones must also possess \u201cflight autonomy (e.g., carrier pattern, taxiing) and mission autonomy (e.g., dynamic tasking\/retasking, threat evasion, automated aerial refueling) maturity.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, they must be compatible with existing Unmanned Carrier Aircraft control systems, according to the RFI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Significantly, while the RFI mostly focuses on carrier-based drones, the Navy also wants vertical-takeoff UAVs that can operate from other types of vessels, such as destroyers and mobile sea bases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Navy is interested in novel concepts that can operate from any air capable platform in addition to the CVN (e.g., DDG, ESB) using Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL),\u201d the RFI said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The RFI is indicative of the Navy\u2019s desire to eventually move on from fourth-generation carrier air wings to an air wing composed of fifth- and sixth-generation manned and unmanned aircraft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new drones \u201cmust demonstrate increased combat effectiveness over current fourth generation platforms at a given spot factor.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Wing of the Future, as designed, appears to be modeled for an old-fashioned battle of attrition, in which combat is waged by affordable \u2014 and expendable \u2014 drones rather than a handful of expensive platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contractors responding to the RFI are asked to \u201cdetail how your production approach supports rapid scaling and elasticity in a surge scenario,\u201d and what techniques they will use to \u201ckeep unit recurring flyaway (URF) and sustainment costs within sustainable limits.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies should also explain how their proposed designs will minimize maintenance requirements and fit into existing naval supply chains, according to the RFI. Potential manufacturers should also submit \u201cplanned capital investments (CAPX) or Internal Research and Development (IRAD) commitments to mature the solution.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Wing of the Future Family of Systems is part of the Trump administration\u2019s Golden Fleet expansion plan for the Navy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Existing family-of-system drone projects include the MQ-25A Stingray tanker and the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCA. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Navy wants its next-gen carrier-based drones to handle a wide range of missions, from strikes and anti-submarine warfare to aerial refueling and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":29103,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":49,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,12,49,36,27],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3415],"class_list":["post-51058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-industry","category-techwatch","category-newsletters","category-unmanned"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"ULJ2GI3VNBEWTMBE2SGOUH43K4","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2026\/07\/14\/the-us-navy-is-eyeing-next-gen-carrier-based-drones-heres-what-they-might-do\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\nThe US Navy is eyeing next-gen carrier-based drones. 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