Dr. Jerry Hendrix from the Center for a New American Security has tabled three options in his paper on carrier-borne strike capability for the U.S. Navy in years to come.
Graphic: CNAS
The most radical option is to scrap the F-35C program and switch to a new unmanned combat aerial vehicle. More Super Hornets will be bought to cover shortfall in the short term before a new unmanned strike aircraft comes online. Hendrix suggests 16 UCAVs for each carrier, 12 strike aircraft supported by four unmanned tankers. This arrangement will give the carriers a long-range strike capability that was lost after the Cold War.
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