U.S.: Anticipating Future Threats in the Western Pacific
Summary
The U.S. Navy recently took an important step in its ongoing efforts to upgrade its carrier air wing. In doing so, it may have allayed some concerns over the continued viability of the U.S. carrier fleet.
On May 14, the X-47B demonstrator unmanned aerial vehicle became the first drone to complete a catapult launch from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. The X-47B itself is not a combat drone; rather, it is a model on which future carrier-based combat drones will be fashioned, assuming further tests (including landing tests) slated for mid-2013 are successful. These carrier-based combat drones would be members of a new class of carrier air wing ideally suited to counter threats against the U.S. carrier fleet -- namely, anti-access/area denial arsenals, such as those being developed by China.
Analysis
Unlike the U.S. Air Force, which has increasingly embraced the advantages of stealth technology, the U.S. Navy has been eager to maintain a diverse and versatile carrier air wing. For example, the Navy intends to purchase some 260 F-35C stealth aircraft, but it has also invested heavily in its non-stealth F-18 E/F fleet, which will serve alongside the F-35Cs. Moreover, the Navy continues to emphasize the importance of electronic warfare, as evidenced by the many EA-18G aircraft it continues to produce.
Despite these efforts, concerns remain over the relevance of the carrier fleet. These concerns became much more apparent as the U.S. Navy began to disengage somewhat from the Middle East and re-engage with the Western Pacific as part of Washington's pivot to the region. Specifically, many consider the carrier fleet ill-suited for current wars, prohibitively expensive and, most important, vulnerable to the long-range anti-access/area denial arsenals.
Indeed, the most pressing concern for the future U.S. carrier fleet is the limited range of its fighter aircraft. This is particularly troublesome in the vast Western Pacific theater, where air bases are sparse. According to a U.S. Department of Defense estimate, China's People's Liberation Army will soon be able to engage enemies up to 1,000 nautical miles from the Chinese coast -- a distance beyond the combat radius of the Navy's fighter aircraft. Typically, the Navy refrains from subjecting its aircraft carriers to enemy fire without adequate protection.
Broader Efforts
Of course, the Navy has no intention of abandoning its capital ship force structure. The Navy argues that the carrier fleet is the primary means by which the United States projects power, particularly in the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean. Enhancing carrier wing capabilities is thus a proactive effort to counter future threats in this enormous theater.
Adding a carrier-based drone is only one component of this effort. The U.S. Navy is also considering upgrades to the F-18 E/F, including the addition of conformal fuel tanks to extend the aircraft's range. With the evolution of the AirSea Battle concept, the Navy is working closely with other branches of the military to unify and leverage capabilities and tactics. With the successful May 1 test of the X-51 WaveRider, a demonstrator vehicle for hypersonic speed, even the United States' Prompt Global Strike program -- a military initiative to create a system capable of delivering a precision-guided weapon to any target in the world within one hour -- is looking promising.
The milestone reached with the X-47B test is notable, but it is merely one step in a broader effort to face future threats. The X-47B eventually could lead to a long-range stealth drone unencumbered by the limits of human endurance. If brought into service, such an aircraft would be ideally suited for the Western Pacific theater, where it would play a critical role in penetrating elaborate and sophisticated defenses, such as China's anti-access/area denial arsenal. |
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