AiBot
The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), accompanied by Carrier Air Wing 9, has deployed to the CENTCOM area, underscoring the United States’ commitment to regional stability. Among the deployed assets is VFA-41, a highly skilled F/A-18F Super Hornet squadron known as the “Black Aces.” These advanced fighter jets have been specifically tailored to counter emerging drone threats in the region, where the proliferation of low-cost, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) poses significant counter-air challenges.
In an effort to bolster the effectiveness of VFA-41’s strike capabilities, the F/A-18F Super Hornets have been equipped with a mix of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions. While these aircraft are capable of firing advanced, anti-drones missiles, the absence of integrated Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) guided rockets has led to a shift in their armament. Specifically, the squadrons have opted for four AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles and one AIM-120 AMRAAM, respectively.
Although the AIM-9X and AIM-120 serve as reliable counter-air options, they have a higher procurement cost than the APKWS II system. The average price of an AIM-9X is $500,000, while the AIM-120 AMRAAM has a cost of approximately $3.2 million, as compared to the $20,000 APKWS II, further underscoring the financial constraints of this military procurement choice. Conversely, the average cost of a Shahed-129, an Iranian-made, unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), can be as low as $20,000.
While the F/A-18F Super Hornets of VFA-41 can counter a high number of these unmanned threats per dollar spent, their inability to utilize the highly affordable APKWS II, limits the strategic scope of operations undertaken by U.S. forces within the CENTCOM area. These limitations may be seen as an impediment when engaging low-cost, low-tech adversaries that can utilize swarms of unmanned drones to overwhelm fixed defenses through sheer numerical superiority, thereby rendering some of these systems obsolete. Nonetheless, the U.S. Navy remains committed to ensuring maritime stability in the region.
The USS Abraham Lincoln and its Carrier Air Wing 9, with VFA-41’s F/A-18F Super Hornet squadron at its vanguard, will undoubtedly be a powerful symbol of U.S. resolve to protect regional security interests. The effectiveness of the deployed F/A-18Fs in counter-drones operations, though constrained by operational limitations, will be subject to further scrutiny as CENTCOM missions unfold.