US' Next Big Weapon: Sea-Based Drones

The US is developing aircraft carrier-based drones that could provide a crucial edge as it tries to counter China's military rise. American officials have been tightlipped about where the unmanned armed planes might be used, but a top Navy officer has told the AP that some would likely be deployed in Asia. Land-based drones are in wide use in the war in Afghanistan, but sea-based versions will take several more years to develop. Northrop Grumman conducted a first-ever test flight—still on land—earlier this year.

Though China is decades away from building a military as strong as America's, the US Navy's pursuit of drones is a recognition of the need for new weapons and strategies to deal with a changing military landscape worldwide. Current Navy fighter jets can only operate about 500 nautical miles from a target, leaving a carrier within range of the Chinese missile; drones would have an unrefueled combat radius of 1,500 nautical miles and could remain airborne for 50 to 100 hours—versus the 10-hour maximum for a pilot, according to a 2008 paper. (More China stories.)