We’re doing a business case analysis right now about if you put more funding in the X-47B, whether you can get any more out of the original design, we continue to fund the other elements of this besides the air system itself, so we’re still able to advance the technology that will allow us to operate unmanned systems from our carriers and also from the carrier strike group.

Michael Manazir

Categorized in : U.S.

The corrosion impacts, I would say, caught us by surprise, when we opened them up and realized the extent of the corrosion damage, we realized we couldn’t just replace the parts we were going to replace. We had to put those airplanes aside.

Michael Manazir

They made each airplane coming into the depot kind of a one-off, we realized we couldn’t just replace the parts — we also had to look at the corrosion on the surrounding framework.

Michael Manazir

That equates to two to three squadrons. by Michael Manazir

That equates to two to three squadrons.

Michael Manazir

The UCLASS RfP has been ready to release now for over a year, we should have it on the street. We have lost this time to put that technology to work. That’s where my frustration is.

Michael Manazir

People talk about, ‘Well, it’s got to be ISR or it’s got to be strike,’ we actually have a requirement that has all of those roles in our potential design.

Michael Manazir