Submarines and UAVs?
By
Bob Brewin
We have all come to accept the fact that the Navy and Army have sizeable air forces. And the Army even has its own mini-Navy of just fewer than 50 ships, including a nifty <a href=http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/usa/images/tsv1x.jpg>high-speed ferry</a> that can transport 600 troops and their gear.
We have all come to accept the fact that the Navy and Army have sizeable air forces. And the Army even has its own mini-Navy of just fewer than 50 ships, including a nifty high-speed ferry that can transport 600 troops and their gear.
Now, it turns out every service has its own fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles in development, including a Navy vertical take-off-and-landing gizmo that looks like a miniature version of the manned V-22 Osprey used by the Marines.
The Navy has successfully proved it can operate helicopter-like Fire Scout UAVs from the decks of small ships such as frigates. The Senate Armed Services Committee thinks the Navy should now develop a submarine-based UAV capable of a stealthy, underwater launch.
In its report on the fiscal 2011 Defense Department Authorization Act, the committee added $4.6 million to the Navy budget to develop a capsule to covertly launch a UAV and integrate its systems with submarine command and control systems.
Now, I know the submariners would feel left out if they couldn't play in the au courant UAV game, but with bucks tight, do we really need an underwater UAV?