What you don't see in this photo are all the irritated real airplanes holding short for the unscheduled hour long runway closure.
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Edit and my apologies, the tag line for the video says it occurred in Pax. I wasn't aware they had an operable steam catapult there. Our squadron has been operating there with the X-47, and while they have caused some minor inconveniences, it hasn't honestly been too bad.
I agree that the human element will probably never go away, but this does bring a pretty amazing capability to the CSG that I think would be pretty difficult to deny ourselves of. It will be interesting to see these things operate on the flight deck where things are already really dynamic. I just don't think that the technology will mature enough to allow simultaneous ops with manned aircraft. There are just too many variables with respots, spinoffs, suspends, simultaneous launches and recoveries, helo ops, four guys directing different aircraft all in fairly close vicinity of each other, etc.
I definitely can envision a UAV only launch and recovery where nothing else is moving up there.
I guess the good thing is that they won't have to waste a whole day and night getting CQ done at the beginning of cruise, right?