Chief of Naval Operations Outlines Future for Drones, Minicarriers

The fleet may need fewer large aircraft carriers but more ships that can carry aircraft. The U.S. Navy may need fewer large Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the future, but that doesn’t necessarily mean fewer ships that can carry aircraft, Chief of Naval Operation Adm. Michael Gilday said in an interview with Defense One on Tuesday. Light aircraft carriers or ships that can serve as small carriers wouldn’t necessarily look like big super carriers from the past, in part because new smaller drones will provide some of the capability that today you only find in carrier air wings. LEARN MORE