October 10, 2014

To Save the Navy’s Next-Gen Drone, Kill It First

By Paul Scharre and Shawn Brimley

The Defense Department was set to release this summer the final request for proposal for the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike, or UCLASS, aircraft, but divisions within the department about the scope of the program and the Navy’s requirements of the drone have led to repeat delays.

Already, the drone has become a symbol of a broader debate withinDOD about what capabilities future carrier air wings need, particularly whether they need a long-range penetrating surveillance and strike aircraft. At this point the UCLASSprogram is so deeply troubled that the most sensible action DOD leaders can take is send the program back to the drawing board to begin scoping requirements from scratch.

This time, however, department leaders should make clear from the outset that UCLASS is meant to fill a gap. It is a long-range stealthy aircraft meant to give aircraft carriers greater reach in a new age.

Read the full op-ed at Defense One.

More from CNAS

  • Reports
    • November 20, 2019
    Make Good Choices, DoD

    In a new report, Susanna V. Blume and Molly Parrish offer a deep dive into how the U.S. Department of Defense makes decisions about what the U.S. military needs, what to buy a...

    By Susanna V. Blume & Molly Parrish

  • Commentary
    • The National Interest
    • November 19, 2019
    Preparing the Military for a Role on an Artificial Intelligence Battlefield

    The Defense Innovation Board—an advisory committee of tech executives, scholars, and technologists—has unveiled its list of ethical principles for artificial intelligence (AI)...

    By Megan Lamberth

  • Video
    • November 13, 2019
    Kara Frederick Discusses Data Privacy on Fox & Friends

    Kara Frederick joins Fox & Friends First to discuss the role of data privacy protections for American patients. Listen to the full conversation and more on Fox News....

    By Kara Frederick

  • Commentary
    • The American Interest
    • November 8, 2019
    The Enduring Relevance of Reagan’s Westminster Speech

    Editor’s Note: This is the third in a series of three essays, commissioned by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, examining the legacy of Reagan’s Westmin...

    By Richard Fontaine

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia