Even aircraft carriers are joining the drone age. Elbit Systems has unveiled a concept to convert standard commercial merchant ships into modular carriers capable of launching and retrieving its Hermes 650 Spark fixed-wing unmanned aircraft.
During the Second World War, the Allies built roughly 130 ships known as escort carriers. At the time, the weakest links in the Allied supply chain were the convoys moving across the Atlantic, Pacific, and North Sea that were vulnerable to Axis submarine attacks. To protect them, the US Navy and Royal Navy desperately needed air cover. Unfortunately, you can’t just open a cupboard and pull out a full-blown fleet carrier, nor could you order one online – even if the internet had existed.
The solution was to take existing unarmored commercial cargo ships and tankers, adding a wooden flight deck, small island superstructures, and enough hangar space and support systems to handle up to 30 aircraft. These were quick to convert and quick to put to sea in sufficient numbers to protect convoys far from the defense of any airfields.
Elbit Systems
Today, a massive boom in airborne military drones is driving a shift toward hybrid conventional/unmanned forces. However, this raises a new logistical problem of how to transport and deploy fixed-wing drones that could number in the thousands for a single campaign.
Taking a step forward by looking into the past, Elbit Systems proposes a turnkey package to convert standard commercial vessels into drone hubs capable of managing nine to 12 Hermes 650 Spark platforms. With a maximum takeoff weight of 1,433 lb (650 kg), these drones utilize a front-mounted engine that provides high power margins and a wide speed envelope. This gives the aircraft the precise short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance needed to operate from a ship’s deck.
Crucially, this modern “escort carrier” operates differently than its predecessors. Because the Hermes 650 Spark features advanced satellite communications, the ship wouldn’t need to house a massive command-and-control center. Instead, the aircraft would be controlled by a shore-based ground station.
Source: Elbit Systems
