Navy to Launch Competition for Carrier-Based Unmanned Aircraft in 2013

Defense contractors will be asked to submit proposals next year for a next-generation unmanned aerial system that will be deployed from aircraft carriers, said the Navy’s deputy program executive officer for UAS.

After a two-year delay, the Navy expects to issue a request for proposals in 2013 for its Unmanned Carrier-Launched Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS).

The goal is to have the aircraft in the fleet by 2020, said Patrick Buckley at a Nov. 9 conference on unmanned aerial systems in Springfield, Va.

Read more