Future carrier air groups are expected to include more uncrewed aircraft, but whether the F-35B's immediate successor will be crewed remains uncertain. The direction of development is clearer than its timing, which could extend decades into the future. Electronic warfare can disrupt uncrewed aircraft, and crewed aircraft also face interference. Military equipment must work against opponents deliberately trying to break its systems or exploit a weakness. Strong performance when nobody is interfering cannot establish how the same technology will fare in combat, which helps explain caution in procurement. Carriers can continue to operate successive aircraft types provided those aircraft are designed to use them.
Notable Point · 1:17:01-1:19:50
Future carrier aircraft and electronic warfare
Future uncrewed aircraft must withstand electronic warfare, while the form and timing of the F-35B's successor remain uncertain.