Could a second wing of uncrewed aircraft let a carrier exceed the roughly 96-aircraft operating limit discussed here?
Short answerThat remains uncertain because uncrewed aircraft still need maintenance and deck handling, while organizing a much larger air group creates additional demands.
NotesAn additional wing of 96 uncrewed aircraft is suggested as a way to expand the capacity of a very large carrier. Removing pilots would leave the work of staging, moving and maintaining the aircraft. A panelist therefore questions whether the proposed second wing could work without extensive maintenance automation. The discussion also treats choreography and keeping track of a growing number of aircraft as constraints that extra hangar space alone cannot solve. The repeated 96-aircraft figure remains an observation reported in the discussion, with the precise cause still uncertain.