Northrop Grumman, US Navy Conduct Successful Simultaneous Tests
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) and the U.S. Navy successfully flew the unmanned MQ-8B Fire Scout simultaneously with the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter for the first time. The capability demonstrates how a mix of aircraft can increase a ship commander's intelligence-gathering capabilities aboard the Littoral Combat Ship. The flight tests took place May 12, aboard the USS Freedom (LCS 1) off the coast of San Diego. Fire Scout complements the Sea Hawk because it can fly longer to maintain constant surveillance on a target or area of interest.
Navy Unmanned Helicopter Wish-List Getting Real
Northrop Grumman Corporation has delivered the second MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter to the U.S. Navy after completing final assembly at the company's unmanned systems center in Moss Point, Miss. The aircraft is joining the first one delivered to Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, Calif., to conduct flight testing before using the system for operational missions in 2014. "Since 2006 we have conducted final assembly of the earlier MQ-8B Fire Scout aircraft from our Moss Point facility…
Multimode Maritime Radar Contract for Telephonics Corp.
Northrop Grumman Corporation, under a US Navy contract, selects Telephonics Corp., to supply radar for Fire Scout unmanned aerial system. A US$33-million contract was awarded to provide the development, production, integration and testing of nine radar systems. The new Telephonics RDR-1700B+ radar will give the MQ-8B Fire Scout critical wide-area search and long-range imaging capability to complement the focused capabilities of its current electro-optical infrared payload. Northrop Grumman is the Navy's prime contractor for Fire Scout, the only vertical unmanned aerial system program of record. The Navy put the company under contract to assess and select a radar system that would best match the MQ-8B Fire Scout's maritime operational requirements.
