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China is very smart to pursue this strategy. The US is committed to fleet carriers and expensive aircraft, while the Chinese focus on island bases and balisti
by georgeecollins 11y ago
China is very smart to pursue this strategy. The US is committed to fleet carriers and expensive aircraft, while the Chinese focus on island bases and balistic missiles. The US is hampered by the organizational inertia that keeps us poring resources into systems that worked in WW2 or the Cold War.
In that sense the failurs of the F-35 are kind of a blessing for the US Navy. It forces them to think about drones. If there is a future for surface ships it is probably as missile platforms or as some sort of drone platform, not aircraft carriers.
- fraserharris 11y agoHigh-speed drones will still need landing strips. It will probably be optimal to have smaller, more numerous drone carriers, but not by much.
- perfTerm 11y agoPossibly not if they're solar or hybrid powered, fuel efficient, and have large enough fuel stores. A plane recently flew around the entirety of the earth without stopping so it's certainly conceivable to fly half way around the planet and back again.
- fraserharris 11y agoThat would have limited military use. Long-term airborne drones are slow, light, and carry a small payload.