Can a warship become a mini aircraft carrier? India, US are testing two different answers
India and the United States are both developing drone capabilities to transform warships into mini aircraft carriers for enhanced surveillance and combat. India's program focuses on indigenous production and intelligence gathering, while the U.S. is exploring broader strike capabilities.
Why it matters
The integration of unmanned aerial systems into naval fleets marks a significant shift in maritime warfare, increasing operational range and efficiency at lower costs.
The idea of turning a warship to a miniature aircraft carrier is moving from concept to contract, with India and the United States both building shipborne drone capabilities, though at very different ends of the spectrum. Unmanned aircraft that can take off from a moving deck are changing what a warship can see, and in the American case, what it can strike.India's effort is the Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System programme. After the Defence Acquisition Council cleared it in July 2026, the Navy issued an industry notice to move the acquisition forward, with the process meant to be completed by January 31, 2027. The Navy plans to buy around 40 systems for warships longer than 100 metres, each originally envisaged as two unmanned aircraft, a primary control station and a standby control station.
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