Media Advisory: U.S. Navy invites media to discuss historic X-47B landing aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)

Archived Body

What:  Members of the electronic, print and broadcast media are invited to participate in a media teleconference to discuss the details of the historic X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator landing aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).

When:  Thursday, July 11, 2013

  • Conference Check-In: 10:15 to 10:30 a.m. Eastern
  • Media Teleconference: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Eastern

Spokespersons:

  • Rear Adm. Mat Winter, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons
  • Capt. Jaime Engdahl, Navy UCAS Program Manager
  • Don Blottenberger, Navy UCAS Deputy Program Manager
  • Carl Johnson, Northrop Grumman Vice President and Program Manager for UCAS

Teleconference Call-in Details:

  • Dial in - (424) 203-8400
  • Participant Code - 952921#

Contact:

Media Materials Availability:  http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=75298

Background:

The Navy UCAS-Demonstration (UCAS-D) program is chartered to assess the feasibility of operating an unmanned aircraft in the carrier environment.  This is a first essential step toward developing a carrier-based unmanned aircraft platform, enabling future carrier air wings to provide continuous intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. This demonstration is the first time a tailless, unmanned autonomous aircraft ? the X-47B ? landed aboard a modern aircraft carrier.

 The Navy UCAS program successfully completed shore-based arrested landings at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. in late June and conducted the aircraft’s first sea-based launch off USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) in May 2013.

During this test period, the UCAS-D test team performed the first arrested landing and will conduct deck-handling and ship-integration tests, carrier approaches with the aircraft and catapults from the ship.

While the X-47B itself is not intended for operational use, the UCAS program is developing a concept of operations and demonstrating technologies for follow-on unmanned, carrier-based aircraft. The intent of the demonstration program is to assess the feasibility of X-47B’s seamless integration into the carrier environment and systems.