The Next Naval Aviation Revolution »

The U.S. Navy is hard at work preparing its X-47B unmanned carrier aircraft, for carrier operations. The new UAV is being put together using, literally, some proven components. This includes the tail hook from the retired F-14, the same tires used on the retired S-3, the brakes used on the F-18 and generators used in the F-22. The X-47B weighs the same as the F-18. The navy plans to use the X-47B for reconnaissance, surveillance and targeting. But it also has two internal bays holding two tons of smart bombs. Many naval officers believe that eventually, once it proves it can operate off a carrier, the X-47B will be used for a lot of bombing. Sort of a super-Predator. The navy has been impressed with the success of the Predator. The 15 ton X-47B has a wingspan of 62 feet (whose outer 15 foot portions fold up to save space on the carrier). It uses a F100-PW-220 engine, which is currently used in the F-16 and

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