The MQ-8 Fire Scout , an unmanned whirlybird used for reconnaissance work by all branch of the US military , made newsworthiness this hebdomad when the Navygroundedits Fire Scout aircraft after a pair of recent crashes . The current machines are unarmed , but by 2013 , a aforethought weapons ascent will make them first sea - based , armed drone helicopter in the Navy ’s armory .
The Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout is 24 groundwork farsighted , nine feet magniloquent , and weighs 2,073 pounds . Its 27 - foot diam quad - blade rotor coil is power by a Rolls - Royce 250 locomotive engine . The Fire Scout is subject of tote up up to 700 Syrian pound of consignment on inadequate mission , it can deploy for up to eight hours within a 110 nm kitchen stove , and climb to an operational ceiling of 20,000 feet .
In aa $ 17 million dealsigned in November , the military made plans to fit out the Fire Scouts with a diversity of munition , including Hellfire missiles , Viper Strike optical maser - guided sailing weapons , and optical maser - guided 70 mm rocket salad , all part of the “ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System ( APKWS ) . ” Despite the unexampled cleanup capacity , the MQ-8Bs will go along to dish as recon platform replete with a optical maser butt - designating turret , multispectral sensing element , Target Acquisition Minefield Detection System , and Tactical Common Data Link .
The MQ-8B is n’t even the big and baddest of the Fire Scout line of products . Northrop Grumman is currently at work on the MQ-8C , which will have the same internal technology as the earlier mannikin but will be meet into aBell 407chassis . Known as the Fire - X , it will feature increased image and carrying capacities . Currently , 28 Fire - Xs are under construction and will be delivered in 2014 . Hopefully the rest of the Fire Scout fleet will be back up and flying by then . [ Northrop Grumman – Innovation News Daily – Wikipedia – Wired – Slate – range of a function : Northrop Grumman ]
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