Small drone carriers operating in conjunction with larger surface action groups could be extremely useful for disrupting enemy maritime operations, both at sea and in the air overhead, during an actual crisis. A ship like this could potentially direct drone swarms at targets ashore or wreak havoc on air defenses, enabling more traditional capabilities to be more effective.

Just by themselves, swarms of unmanned aircraft have an inherent ability to confuse and overwhelm enemy forces, making it hard for an opponent to prioritize threats and apply their own resources effectively. In addition, networked swarms offer immense flexibility since individual drones do not need to perform all of the mission sets that the larger group is expected to carry out. As such, any single unmanned aircraft in the swarm might only be configured to carry sensors, electronic warfare systems, or even a small warhead. 

All of this applies just as much in the maritime domain as it does on land. A swarm…

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Source: www.thedrive.com