Northrop, Navy Subject Fire Scout to Endurance Flight Test; Jeff Dodge Comments

Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy have carried out an endurance flight test with an unmanned helicopter at Naval Base Venture County in Point Mugu, California.

The company said Tuesday the MQ-8C Fire Scout system flew for 11 hours with more than an hour in fuel reserve.

“Endurance flights provide a full evaluation of the MQ-8C Fire Scout systems. We can better understand the capability of the system and look at crew tasks and interactions in a controlled environment,” said Capt. Jeff Dodge, Fire Scout program manager at the Naval Air Systems Command.

“This will allow us to adjust operational procedures to maximize the system’s effectiveness.”

Fire Scouts work to provide precision targeting, situational awareness and reconnaissance support to land-based, aerial and maritime forces.

Northrop and the service branch plan to subject the MQ-8C Fire Scout platform to an operational evaluation later this year.