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Naval
Defense Industry News - USA |
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Northrop
Grumman's MQ-8C Fire Scout Prepares for Shipboard Testing |
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Northrop
Grumman Corporation successfully completed precision sloped landing
tests Aug. 27 with the MQ-8C Fire Scout at Naval Base Ventura County,
Point Mugu, in preparation for at-sea testing. MQ-8C Fire Scout has
been undergoing rigorous flight testing and validation, which will culminate
in the actual takeoff and landing on the deck of a Navy vessel at-sea.
The MQ-8C is the company's latest variant of its successful Fire Scout
unmanned aerial system, which performs intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance missions for the U.S. Navy. |
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The Northrop Grumman-built MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter completed
its first flight Oct. 31 from Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu,
Calif. The flight validated the autonomous control systems of the aircraft.
The MQ-8C provides the U.S Navy with increased endurance, range, and
payload capacity. (Photos by Alan Radecki)
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"The
sloped takeoff and landing tests are designed to be as real as it gets
to actually operating on a Navy ship," said Capt. Patrick Smith,
Fire Scout program manager at Naval Air Systems Command. "The autonomous
MQ-8C Fire Scout system is able to precisely track and understand the
roll and pitch of the surface which resembles at-sea conditions."
The sloped landing platform was previously used to test and certify
the MQ-8B Fire Scout for ship-based operations and is now being used
for the more capable MQ-8C. The MQ-8C is utilizing the same proven autonomous
system for takeoff and landings as the current MQ-8B model. |
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The Northrop Grumman-built MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter completed
its first flight Oct. 31
(Video: Northrop Grumman) |
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"The
MQ-8C Fire Scout system is performing as predicted and as previously
demonstrated during Fire-X testing back in 2011," said George Vardoulakis,
vice president for Medium Range Tactical Systems, Northrop Grumman.
"These tests enable a validation of our autonomous system and clear
the way for dynamic interface testing onboard the ship."
Since its first flight Oct. 31, 2013, the MQ-8C Fire Scout has flown
219 flights and 287 hours. The most recent tests on the MQ-8C have consisted
of electromagnetic testing, which assured compatibility with ship-based
emitters (like radar) and an initial phase of dynamic interface testing,
which looked at deck handling and communications networks. The MQ-8C's
first ship-based series of flights are planned for later this year. |
