US Senate Urges Navy To Slow Retirement Plans For X-47Bs

The Senate Appropriations Committee believes the Navy should not move quickly to retire two prototype unmanned aircraft that recently made history by demonstrating their ability to land and take-off on aircraft carriers.

In approving its fiscal 2014 defense appropriations bill, the committee said the Navy should instead evaluate other options for using the two X-47Bs to better prepare for the follow-on programme designed to provide the Navy with an operational air wing of carrier-based unmanned aircraft.

The X-47Bs were developed under the Unmanned Combat Air System-Demonstrator (UCAS-D) to assess the integration of the aircraft into carrier flight deck operations. The program completed a carrier launch in May followed by arresting gear landings in July. Senior Navy officials have said they will look at other possible testing in the near future but plan to retire the aircraft to museums.

The Senate Appropriations Committee, however, said in the bill approved last week by a 22-8 vote that given the more-than billion dollars spent on UCAS-D, the Navy should look at alternatives.

“The committee is concerned that the Navy plans to retire the aircraft prior to completing additional risk reduction testing,” the bill, which still must go through a full Senate vote, said. “Therefore, prior to retiring the aircraft, the committee directs the Navy to evaluate if the Navy UCAS-D program can be used for additional risk reduction activities to minimize ship integration challenges for the future UCLASS programme.”

UCLASS, or Unmanned Carrier Launch Surveillance and Strike, is the separate, follow-on programme to UCAS-D.

Source: Defense Daily

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