The future of unmanned combat and America's aircraft carriers remains locked in a semi-clandestine procurement tug of war under the the program.

while others think they should be more capable of striking targets deep inside enemy territory. We will have to wait to see what the Navy decides, but relegating unmannned combat vehicle capability to flying almost exclusively information, surveillance and reconnaissance tracks hundreds of miles from the Carrier Strike Group would be unfair to the technology's potential.

The ability for a u to strike strategic targets and air defense nodes at twice, to three times the un-refueled distance of a comparable manned fighter is a game changing technology and the faster we field it the better off America will be strategically.

Aviation photographer Ian Tate caught quite the sight while spotting at General Atomics' drone…

More on UCLASS and other topics surrounding the truth about unmanned combat air vehicles will be presented in an upcoming special feature here at Foxtrot Alpha. In the meantime enjoy a glimpse of the future seen in the dramatic picture above.

Picture via Northrop Grumman