no longer piloted fixed-wing AC for small carriers?
Who knows what the future really brings ?
All these budget-issues that are currently severely wheighing in on all the defense budget for nations that have small but expensive carriers, like Italy with their Cavour, combined with the very uncertain F35b and C future when it comes to both affordability and performance and maintainability, might well all lead to a new style of carrier tactics.
If the F35 is far too expensive/unavailable/unuseable for smaller carriers that still want to have a fixed airwing , it might as well lead to an (almost) complete setup of UAV-UCAV's iso of traditionally piloted fighters.
Boeing's X45N, Northrop's X47B, or other platforms made by other suppliers might well form the backbone of the future small-carrier fleet sooner rather than later.