MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Unmanned Air System
The MQ-8C Fire Scout, the US Navy’s first unmanned helicopter designed and developed by Northrop Grumman, completed the ground test phase at a Naval Base in California. The tests included engine run and powering of the aircraft’s rotor blades for the first time. The exercise helped to gather sufficient data to ensure the functional reliability of the Fire Scout’s systems prior to the maiden flight expected to be undertaken in the near future.
“Completion of these tests signifies our steady progress toward the first flight of the MQ-8C Fire Scout,” said George Vardoulakis, Vice President of the Medium Range Tactical Systems at Northrop Grumman. The Navy currently has the company under contract to produce an MQ-8C for deployment beginning next year.
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