Project Vixen is expected to bring onboard the Royal Navy aircraft carriers a variant of the LANCA-Mosquito UCAV, operating as loyal wingmen along with the F-35B fighters. (Photo: Team Mosquito) carriers, embarking both manned helicopters and rotary-wing drones. The 40,000t, 200m design is clearly inspired by the French Mistral, and the two vessels are expected to be commissioned in 2027-2028. They will operate the usual mix of Russian naval helicopters: Ka-27 ASW, Ka-29 assault, Ka-31 AEW, Ka-52K attack. There are two rotary-wing drones currently planned for shipborne operations. One, Termit, is a lightweight UAS, armed with laser-guided rockets, and was unveiled during the Army 2021 exhibition last year. Another, Platforma, is a medium-weight model. Both VTUAS are being developed by JSC Strela and, in addition to these rotary-wing drones, the Ivan Rogovs will also operate some fixedwing catapult-launched drones, such as the small 18kg ORLAN-10, or comparable future solutions yet to complete development. In China, the new Type 075 LHD are entering service, with three already in commission and the eventual total of the class likely to reach eight. However, considerable attention is being focused on the rumored Type 076 project – a drone carrier derivative of the Type 075 LHD design. During the summer of 2020, China broke with its customary behaviour and issued a public Request for Iinformation (RfI) for special equipment intended for an ‘xx6’ vessel project. The equipment included 30t aircraft elevators, ordnance elevators, jet blast deflectors, arrested recovery gears, and EMALS catapults, all leading to speculation regarding a CATOBAR drone carrier design. The first steel will supposedly be cut next year and there have been plenty of rumours and countless ‘artist’s impressions’ prepared by enthusiastic supporters, revealing a vessel with an in-line deck – or one with an angles flight deck – a vessel with a stern well dock – or without one. At the time of writing, however, reliable information remains scarce. In addition to various rotary-wing assets, both manned and unmanned, the Type 076 would carry at least two types of fixed-wing drones. One is the Hongdu GJ-11 Sharp Sword: a 20t UCAV, with a blended-wing-body profile, quite comparable to Northrop Grumman’s X-47B, tested in 2013 onboard US aircraft carriers as a demonstrator for reconnaissance and aerial refuelling tasks, then cancelled in 2017. The other likely fixed-wing drone is a MALE, a navalised variant (with folding wings) of the Chengdu GJ-2 Wing Loong II (4,200kg, 400kg payload, 200 knots, 32 hours endurance), for both ISR and strike missions. In Britain, the Royal Navy is conducting the Vixen project, in order to evaluate possible operations with fixed-wing drones from the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, in addition to normal activities with manned helicopters and F-35Bs. The mission sets targeted for evaluation include in-flight refueling, AEW&C, EW and long-range reconnaissance. In October 2021 the MoD issued an RfI to evaluate the feasibility of fitting an EMALS catapault capable of launching a 25t aircraft within three to five years – accompanied by arrested recovery gears to recover aircraft up to 21 tonnes. A possible longer-term evolution is the Vixen-Strike, this would appear to qualify as the first drone carrier! Rumour Central had the shipyard ordering arrester gear from Tekjet, which would classify the vessel as the first ever STOBAR drone carrier. There was a fly in the ointment, however: the TB-3 would be very effective when facing limited air defence capabilities, but more complex opposition would limit their effect. So Baykar Technologies – the TB-2 and TB-3 manufacturer – outlined a concept in which Anadolu would operate with MIUS [the Turkish National Combat Drone System]. A transonic jet, MIUS features an MTOW of 5,500kg, a 1,500kg payload and uses AI, low observable technologies and high manoeuvrability. A prototype could fly by 2024 and production models would be multi-mission capable – tactical strike, SEAD, air-toair combat, ISR, EW – working singly or in swarms, autonomously or in manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) arrangements. Lighter by far than manned aircraft, MIUS would probably be capable of operating without a ski-jump and without requiring a catapault. All Hands On Deck Russia, for its part, has announced its intention to operate the two Ivan Rogov-class (Project 23900) LHD, now being built, as flexible helicopter 64 · MT 3/2022 From the Bridge Type-076, a variant of the current Type-075 LHD, is thought to be the future drone carrier of the PLA(N). According to some reports it will operate both Hongdu GJ-11 Sharp Sword UCAV and the Chengdu GJ-2 Wing Loong-II MALE. (Photo: Chinese Internet) f
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