![]() | This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: UCLASS was switched to CBARS, the MQ-25 was chosen, and the entire role of the aircraft changed.(April 2020) |
The United States Navy Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D) program included:
The UCAS-D program was created to demonstrate the feasibility of operating an unmanned aircraft from an aircraft carrier. Technology and operational procedures developed through the program and the X-47B demonstrator informed the design of a future operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft under the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program. After debate over whether UCLASS should prioritize strike or surveillance, the Pentagon restructured the program into the Carrier-Based Aerial Refueling System (CBARS). [1] The CBARS program aimed to produce an unmanned aerial vehicle for aerial refueling to extend the range of manned fighters. [2]
This project led to the development of the carrier-based aerial refueling drone, the Boeing MQ-25 Stingray.