Modern Carrier Battle Group..Strategies and Tactics

Re: The End of the Carrier Age?

Equation said:

X-47B sounds great, but it still acts like a UCAV, meaning needing satellites to operate it. Don't you think an adversary with the capability to knock down satellites would hinder this almost obsolete? No satellites, therefore no operational control and no chance of taking off.

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Not necessarily. X-47B and other UCAVs can act as relays from one to another so that the control signals can reach the command group. In this case the command group would be carrier which will be standing safely out of range. Already the carrier battlegroup can use line-of-sight laser datalinks to communicate between ships to avoid the enemy intercepting their communications if they are operating in EMCON

It would be a simple matter for one stealthy UCAV to communicate with another and another via laser datalink until the signal reached the E2D and ultimately the carrier

Re: The End of the Carrier Age?

If your statement is true then that means the J-20 will be obsolete long before it reaches operational capability

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The same argument why the need for new long range bomber if US is so confident that this magic weapon will solve all the problem.

To say that you can only invent arrow and not shield has been proven wrong consistently thru history

Re: The End of the Carrier Age?

paintgun said:

okay this about ucav so...

equation, the answer is probably no or not as severe, IMO satellite data relay on UAVs such as Global Hawk and smaller Reapers/Predators is used to transmit high volume data such as imagery or live video, the communication and information infrastructure for UCAVs such as the X-47B will be more like datalinks in fighter aircraft/AEW aircrafts, only relying on satellite for GPS/INS and telemetry

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Well that's my argument there, relying on the satellite for GPS/INS and telemetry could also hinder its operation when that GPS satellite gets knock down or out of commission.

Re: The End of the Carrier Age?

Stealthy American aircraft and UCAVs have the ability to communicate over a secure datalink to share tactical data. It is called MADL and uses radio waves to accomplish its mission. As far as is known there is nothing like it in the world. It gives a tremendous advantage in being able to achieve command and control of various assets.

"Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) is a future data waveform to provide secure data-linking technology between stealth aircraft. It began as a method to coordinate between F-35 aircraft (the Joint Strike Fighter), but HQ Air Combat Command wants to expand the capabiltiy to coordinate future USAF strike forces of all AF stealth aircraft, including the B-2, F-22, and unmanned systems. MADL is expected to provide needed throughput, latency, frequency-hopping and anti-jamming capability with phased Array Antenna Assemblies (AAAs) that send and receive tightly directed radio signals."

Re: The End of the Carrier Age?

Equation said:

Well that's my argument there, relying on the satellite for GPS/INS and telemetry could also hinder its operation when that GPS satellite gets knock down or out of commission.

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yes there is some certain truth about that

i believe if they can make the thing land and take off autonomously on a carrier, they sure can prevent it falling from the sky when it lost the satellites

Re: The End of the Carrier Age?

Looks like some people are trying to bring nukes into the equation. Two can play that game.

In the last decade, Beijing has made nuclear power a central component in its energy strategy. China has 13 operating nuclear reactors producing nearly 2 percent of its total power output, but there are another 27 reactors under construction, 50 more planned and more than 100 proposed. With new reactors coming every year, China is aiming for a tenfold increase in its nuclear generating capacity by 2020, with rapid growth projected to continue until 2050.

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msnbc.msn.com/id/42219006/ns/world_news-asiapacific

Re: The End of the Carrier Age?

paintgun said:

yes there is some certain truth about that

i believe if they can make the thing land and take off autonomously on a carrier, they sure can prevent it falling from the sky when it lost the satellites

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I'm curious to know how that works. Do you think the designers and engineers put in some kind of internal navigation system that takes data from the current location of the carrier and record its flight path as it takes off? I could imagine it has to because it must operate separately from the main computer system.

Re: The End of the Carrier Age?

Equation said:

I'm curious to know how that works. Do you think the designers and engineers put in some kind of internal navigation system that takes data from the current location of the carrier and record its flight path as it takes off? I could imagine it has to because it must operate separately from the main computer system.

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google Cat IIIc landings.

well designed systems in airliners can take a jumbo jet all the way down to flare and roll out with out pilot intervention.

like I said in key pubs once,
the technology is nothing new.

Re: The End of the Carrier Age?

paintgun said:

yes there is some certain truth about that

i believe if they can make the thing land and take off autonomously on a carrier, they sure can prevent it falling from the sky when it lost the satellites

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when you loose satlleite link usually the system onboard will go to one of its VHF/UHF back ups, if all else fails it will go to the pre-programmed site to land.

Re: The End of the Carrier Age?

A revised Hagt & Durnin report on the progress of Chinese satellite from strategic to tactical use AKA Bammer eye and ear.Anyone still doubt that China doesn't have infrastructure in place to target CBG read this report. Along report check it out


The rapid rise in China’s imaging satellites has important implications.The most basic is the distinct improvement in China’s spatialand temporal reconnaissance capabilities. Although China still has a long way to go before it has continuous, real-time tactical coverage,even of a regional maritime environment, it now has frequent and
dependable coverage of stationary targets and at least a basic ability to identify, track, and target vessels at sea.

This is important for specific weapons programs currently under development that would benefit immeasurably from a robust space-based reconnaissance system.

The most immediate and strategically disquieting application is a targeting and tracking capability in support of the anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM), which could hit US carrier groups. However,such a system goes beyond supporting any single weapon; rather it could be developed to be dynamic, applicable to numerous defense
scenarios, and with numerous points of redundancy.

It could be a force-multiplier in the service of long-range cruise missiles, stand-off precision attacks, stealth technology, damage assessment, joint