Northrop Grumman Delivers First MQ-8C Fire Scout to US Navy

摘要

Northrop Grumman has delivered the first operational MQ-8C Fire Scout to the U.S. Navy for use by ship-based commanders in intelligence-gathering operations. The MQ-8C is an upgraded version of the existing MQ-8B Fire Scout. It has a larger airframe, and provides nearly twice the flight endurance and three times the payload capacity of its predecessor. The system includes reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) sensors to support warfighters' demands for enhanced situational awareness. The Fire Scout supports both maritime and land-based missions with the ability to take off and land on aviation-capable warships and at landing zones in proximity to ground troops. The Navy will conduct shipboard flight tests aboard the USS Jason Dunham this winter, and then assess the system for operational use.