The US Navy has announced it has deployed its Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout vertical UAS aboard an Independence class littoral combat ship, USS Milwaukee.

The MQ-8C is based on the commercial Bell 407 airframe, and features mission and unmanned flight control systems in place of the seats and cabin.

The MQ-8C takes the unmanned flight control system from the older MQ-8B Fire Scout which is based on the smaller Schweizer 333 helicopter, but integrates it with a much larger airframe and with more powerful engines, greater payload, more than 10 hours endurance, and a wider array of sensor options.

The latest sensor to be integrated with the MQ-8C is the Leonardo Osprey AN/ZPY-8 phased array radar in conformal chin apertures. The US Navy uses the Fire Scout in a manned-unmanned teaming concept whereby the unmanned system conducts ISR missions – effectively expanding its mother-ship’s electronic and visual horizon – while manned Sikorsky MH-60R or MH-60S helicopters respond to threats or targets of interest.

“Fire Scout is a force multiplier, not only in our current mission, but in every mission the US Navy conducts,” Cmdr Brian Forster, commanding officer of the USS Milwaukee said in a release. “I am very excited of the team I have onboard which has already, and will continue to, demonstrate how manned and unmanned assets can work together to effectively achieve the mission.”

Capt Eric Soderberg, the US Navy’s Program Manager Multi-Mission Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) added, “This is a significant milestone in the MQ-8C Fire Scout program. The transition from the MQ-8B to the MQ-8C Fire Scout has brought improved sensors and more than doubles the on-station endurance. Advances in Fire Scout’s capabilities further our successful integration of unmanned platforms at sea, and the Navy and Marine Corps unmanned campaign plan.”

Northrop Grumman Fire Scout program director, Lance Eischeid said, “Our partnership with the US Navy has been critical in developing Fire Scout’s multi-mission autonomous capabilities which provide greater situational awareness to the joint force. With the ability to operate from a range of surface ships, MQ-8C Fire Scout is a powerful platform that allows the US Navy to increase the detection and tracking of targets through its onboard sensors and integration with manned assets.”

The US Navy has a program of record for up to 96 MQ-8Cs, with 24 production examples ordered to date, and the system will deploy aboard a LCS to the Indo-Pacific region in late 2022.