JPALS comes along nicely for some more auto landing fun (especially essential for X-47Bs and derivatives as well as F-35s (there will be an ashore version including a portable land version for those inclined).
'Mach Two' expresses some concern about my experience. I have no auto landing experience whatsoever - but - have read umpteen pilot reports about same in various publications and online over the last several decades.
My own completely manual deck landings in an A4G number some 125 during the day, with my first four touch and goes hook up aboard HMS Hermes, visiting our shores in August 1971 or thereabouts. OMG I have a bakers dozen night deck landings also + plus a night rampstrike thrown in - hence my interest over the last several years to investigate the history of NavAv to better inform myself on the issues. I must admit to being gobsmacked by all the technology available to the Navy Pilot today (compared to simple mirror & 'meatball, lineup and airspeed [Opt AoA] of the A4G with a short and sweet GCA to the start for a night approach to HMAS Melbourne). Nothing fancy but effective in those times. Youse can read all about it at the usual online places with 'SpazSinbad' PDFs etc. If 'Mach Two' you are a crab then you are excused reading this info and take 'Courtney Mil' advice that it is all just crap.
My Basic / Advanced flying training in all of 1968 was with the RAAF so I have some understanding of their complete disinterest in NavAv. What a relief to go to the bosom of the RANFAA at NAS Nowra beginning 1969 and the adventures thereto undertaken.
'Mach Two' my input to this meandering thread started with 'PhilipG' expressing 'fake' concern on page 6 about Naval Pilots ability to land on a deck at sea:
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/517553-sharky-watch-live-6.html#post7909330 - AS IF.
Navy closes in on making landing on aircraft carrier safer 28 Jun 2013 NavAirSysCom
Navy closes in on making landing on aircraft carrier safer
"...The Hornets flew 65 low approaches to touch-and-go or full-stop landings during our two weeks on CVN 77,” said Lee Mason, PMA-213’s JPALS Ship System integrated program team lead. “The King Air completed 29 low approaches. So far, we are very pleased with the results. The system is expected to achieve tremendously improved landing accuracy.”
...
...Later this summer, JPALS is scheduled to complete additional at-sea testing to further refine the verification and validation effort and enable the completion of the operational assessment of the JPALS ship system, which is needed to progress to the program’s next milestone, Lack added.
“JPALS will provide adverse weather, adverse terrain, day and night, and survivable precision approach and landing capability that supports service and multi-national interoperability,” Lack said. “It is particularly suitable for the F-35, future aircraft and unmanned air vehicle operations at sea.”"