Fire Scout News

Austal USA delivered the future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) to the U.S. Navy March 1, 2024. Kingsville is the 18th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) delivered by the company and the first U.S. Navy vessel to be named after the Texas city home to Naval Air Station Kingsville and directly tied to the historic King Ranch.Delivery documents were signed on board the ship and followed the successful completion of acceptance trials at the end of January during which the ship’s major systems and equipment were tested to demonstrate mission readiness.

The seventh Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) built by Austal, Manchester (LCS 14), has completed acceptance trials December 15 in the Gulf of Mexico, marking the final significant milestone prior to the warship’s delivery in early 2018. This milestone achievement involved the execution of intense comprehensive tests by the Austal-led industry team while underway, which demonstrated to the Navy the successful operation of the ship’s major systems and equipment. LCS 14 will be the second Independence-variant LCS Austal delivers to the Navy in less than six months.

The U.S. Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy completed the 21st annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Singapore after 11 days of comprehensive training both at sea and ashore, July 24. CARAT Singapore featured a series of dynamic training engagements including a five-day sea phase involving ships, submarines and aircraft from both countries. "Having arrived in Southeast Asia in 2012, this was my third time participating in CARAT Singapore and each year, the exercise gets better and better," said Capt. Fred Kacher, commodore, Destroyer Squadron 7 and co-commander of the exercise task group. Building on CARAT's emphasis of increasing the complexity of combined scenarios each year…

Littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) arrived in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations Dec. 4, marking a key initial milestone in its 16-month rotational deployment in support of the Indo-Asia-Pacific rebalance. Building on USS Freedom's (LCS 1) inaugural 10-month deployment from March to December 2013, Fort Worth will expand LCS operations while in 7th Fleet, to include visiting more ports, engaging more regional navies during exercises like Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) and expanding LCS capabilities with tools like the MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned autonomous helicopter. "Fort Worth will be a workhorse in 7th Fleet…

To begin the ship's final deployment, USS Simpson (FFG 56) departed her homeport Nov. 14, for regularly scheduled theater security missions in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. Commanded by Cmdr. Ken Anderson, the crew concluded a highly-successful maintenance availability and intense training exercises, and was outfitted with four Fire Scout (MQ-8B) vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicles prior to departure. Simpson returned from her last 6th Fleet…

Ship construction programs move ahead, but it’s not smooth sailing. Navies and Coast Guards everywhere face budgetary pressure, even in the U.S. which has the largest Navy in the world. The balance between desire for capacity and capability and pressure for affordability has never been more acute with the precarious budgetary issues presented by declining defense budgets, sequestration, continuing resolutions and government shutdowns. Even so, there are ongoing major construction efforts to include large nuclear aircraft carriers and submarines…

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.

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…

Northrop Grumman Corporation is building a company-owned unmanned aircraft as a development & demonstration platform for at-sea surveillance. The U.S. Navy's MQ-4C Triton program aims to provide a detailed picture of surface vessels to identify threats across vast areas of ocean and littoral areas. With its ability to fly missions up to 24 hours, Triton complements many manned surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. Wing sections were joined to the aircraft's fuselage at the company's production facility in Palmdale, Calif.

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.

Fleet, Force put Warfighting First: U.S. At the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, and with a new Chief of Operations at the helm, the U.S. Navy continues to provide credible combat power with persistent presence around the world. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert has set forth his “Sailing Directions” and “Navigation Plan” for the Navy, which sets forth priorities and informs the budget and acquisition process. Meanwhile, the demand signal for the capabilities provided by the Navy and Marine Corps remains strong, and shows no signs of abating.

Navy unmanned aircraft will be able to distinguish small pirate boats from other vessels when an Office of Naval Research (ONR)-funded sensor starts airborne tests this summer, officials said. Called the Multi-Mode Sensor Seeker (MMSS), the sensor is a mix of high-definition cameras, mid-wave infrared sensors and laser-radar (LADAR) technology. It will be placed on a robotic helicopter called Fire Scout. Carrying advanced automatic target recognition software, the sensor prototype will allow Fire Scout to autonomously identify small boats on the water…

President Barack Obama sent Congress a proposed defense budget of $613.9 billion for fiscal 2013, Feb. 13. The request for the Department of Defense (DoD) includes $525.4 billion in discretionary budget authority to fund base defense programs and $88.5 billion to support Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), primarily in Afghanistan. Of the discretionary budget, $155.9 billion represents the Department of the Navy's budget request. This is a decrease of $1.4 billion from last year's baseline appropriation. Rear Adm.

first shipboard landing by the U.S. UAV in late August. The flights were made between Pt. Calif., and the USS Denver underway at sea. payload from launch to recovery. be fully TCS compliant. program manager. Scout test team. (the U.S. Navy's UAV program office), and the Raytheon Company. finder. and the first shipboard landings later this fall. The first Fire Scout test flight, conducted Aug. a functional check flight. approximately 20 minutes. Aug. successfully to several intentional, operator-directed wave-offs. and approach routes relative to a moving platform. River, Md. and U.S. Marine Corps forces ashore. nautical miles of its ground control station. coordinates.

Northrop Grumman Corporation's Integrated Systems sector has signed a technical assistance agreement with IZAR of Spain, Europe's second largest shipbuilder, to promote the U.S. Navy's Fire Scout vertical unmanned system for integration on the country's F-100 frigate. The Spanish Navy established a requirement for a precision weapon targeting system for new and existing frigates produced or upgraded by IZAR. As defined in this requirement, Fire Scout would provide target designation for precision-guided weapons during land attack missions. "We are extremely pleased to begin what we believe will be a successful collaboration with IZAR to support Spain and its venerable Navy," said Paul K.

Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the U.S. Navy. vertical takeoff and landing UAV to the Navy. team, the Navy and U.S. Combat System program. design to maximize commonality across the Fire Scout platforms. ensure it meets all current and future requirements. and the ability to integrate future payloads onto the aircraft.

Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) held a media forum Wednesday to educate reporters about Human Systems Integration (HSI) Directorate and the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mission Modules program and how their efforts impact the optimal manning and operational capability of the Navy’s newest surface combat ship. “The U.S. Navy is undergoing an unprecedented shift in how it designs and builds its ships and systems, reflecting an even greater commitment to its Sailors at sea,” said Greg Maxwell, NAVSEA Deputy Commander for Human Systems Integration. The LCS will be commissioned next year and will be the first surface ship entering the fleet with this HSI/Human Performance focus. This “total systems engineering” process (hardware, software and people) makes ships more humanly efficient.

Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) held a media forum Wednesday to educate reporters about Human Systems Integration (HSI) Directorate and the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mission Modules program and how their efforts impact the optimal manning and operational capability of the Navy’s newest surface combat ship. “The U.S. Navy is undergoing an unprecedented shift in how it designs and builds its ships and systems, reflecting an even greater commitment to its Sailors at sea,” said Greg Maxwell, NAVSEA Deputy Commander for Human Systems Integration. The LCS will be commissioned next year and will be the first surface ship entering the fleet with this HSI/Human Performance focus. This “total systems engineering” process (hardware, software and people) makes ships more humanly efficient.

and the U.S. ceremonies tomorrow in Panama City, Fla. being developed for the LCS. warfare. containerized and ready for installation and activation aboard any LCS. management grid. and surface warfare packages in 2008 and 2009. Dr. Delores M. for the event. senior company official at the ceremony. packages. that are developing and delivering the first several prototypes. as a "plug-and-fight" package. and with the greater Navy network in which the LCS functions. subsurface domains. They comprise warfighting capabilities (e.g. the operators. unmanned vehicle, a Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems product. 20 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet tall. mine countermeasures package. containers to be shipped to staging areas around the world. Littoral Mine Warfare.