An Arleigh-Burke class destroyer travels through the Atlantic Ocean , as seen from a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier on Oct. 5, 2025. Rather than relying upon aircraft carriers, the U.S. Navy is seeking long-range drones that can be launched from smaller vessels such as Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, according to an announcement from the Defense Innovation Unit. (Zachary Steward/U.S. Navy)
The hot item on the Navy’s drone wish list these days is unmanned aircraft that sailors can launch from smaller ships or austere locations to carry out long-range attacks.
Instead of aircraft carriers, the launchpad for such a drone would be smaller vessels such as Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, littoral combat ships and frigates, according to a Defense Innovation Unit solicitation posted this week.
The Navy wants the aircraft to have a range of at least 1,400 miles and the ability to deliver 1,000-pound class munitions typically used by fighter jets like the F/A-18 Super Hornet and F-35 Lightning II.
The drones should also be able to operate in rough seas and with minimal personnel and infrastructure, the solicitation said. Responses are due by Feb. 27.
“Naval surface combatants are constrained in their ability to support long-range strikes over extended combat operations due to reliance on single-use missile systems, with limited magazine depth and limited at-sea munition replenishment capability,” the Defense Innovation Unit wrote.
The agency is responsible for fielding and developing technology for the military.
The publication of the announcement came the same week as the Navy’s top uniformed officer, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle, outlined warfighting instructions for the service during a speech in San Diego.
Detailing the future of Navy operations, Caudle said he thinks the service relies too much on its carriers and called on commanders to use smaller, newer ships and other assets for missions.
As part of his plan for a “Golden Fleet,” President Donald Trump last year proposed a revival of the Navy’s heavily armed class of warship known as battleships.
An analysis from the Congressional Research Service sent to lawmakers last month said the ships would be armed with a “combination of missiles, guns, lasers” and other weapons that would be greater as a whole than what is currently used on the Navy’s cruisers and destroyers.
Navy aircraft carriers have been moved around the globe in recent months to address developing crises. The movements have disrupted deployment plans and put additional strain on vessels and equipment, The Associated Press reported.
The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group was on a routine deployment to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa area of command when the Pentagon ordered it to the Caribbean Sea in October to support U.S. operations. It’s been on duty there since mid-November.
And the USS Abraham Lincoln recently left the South China Sea to travel to the Middle East as tensions rise with Iran.
Trump said this week that he’s thinking of sending another aircraft carrier to the region, though it’s not clear which carrier would be prepared to sail.
