Audacious's shrinking air-group capacity also informs modern procurement claims that future aircraft will become smaller. Very small drones differ from uncrewed combat aircraft intended to perform demanding carrier missions. Removing the human does not remove fuel, sensors, weapons, structure, or the space needed to handle the aircraft safely. Larger airframes consume both parking area and manoeuvring room, creating a cumulative reduction in how many aircraft the same hangar can support. Carrier designs therefore need growth margin because aviation technology has not reached a final size.
Notable Point · 21:59-24:19
Uncrewed aircraft do not remove carrier space pressure
Removing the pilot does not guarantee a small combat aircraft, so future carrier designs still need hangar and handling margin for larger airframes.