Fire Scout
Product descripton: Fire Scout by Northrop Grumman Corporation
The Fire Scout is a combat-proven autonomous helicopter system developed by Northrop Grumman to provide persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Target Acquisition (ISR-T), laser designation, and battle management without relying on manned aircraft or space-based assets.
The Fire Scout family consists of two variants: the MQ-8B and the next-generation MQ-8C. Designed for both ship-based and land-based operations, the system is capable of fully autonomous takeoff and landing from aviation-capable ships as well as prepared and unprepared landing zones.
The MQ-8B has accumulated more than 16,600 flight hours across over 6,200 sorties, supporting maritime security and counter-IED missions. It has demonstrated multi-mode maritime radar integration, onboard weapon capability with the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), and safe concurrent operations alongside manned aircraft at sea.
The MQ-8C, based on the commercial Bell 407 helicopter platform, significantly enhances operational capability by providing more than twice the range and endurance and more than three times the payload capacity of its predecessor. Combined with Northrop Grumman’s mature autonomous flight architecture, it is designed for persistent expeditionary and maritime missions.
Key Features
- Autonomous rotary-wing unmanned aircraft system
- Persistent ISR, target acquisition, laser designation, and battle management
- Ship-based and land-based operations
- Fully autonomous takeoff and landing
- Operates from aviation-capable ships and unprepared landing zones
- Maritime radar integration
- Compatible with Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS)
- Demonstrated concurrent operations with manned aircraft
- Combat-proven operational history
- Available in MQ-8B and MQ-8C variants
Technical specifications
| Specification | MQ-8B Fire Scout | MQ-8C Fire Scout |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Type | Autonomous helicopter UAS | Autonomous helicopter UAS |
| Developer | Northrop Grumman | Northrop Grumman |
| Primary Roles | ISR, target acquisition, laser designation, battle management | ISR, target acquisition, laser designation, battle management |
| Operational Environment | Ship- and land-based | Ship- and land-based |
| Takeoff & Landing | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Launch/Recovery | Aviation-capable ships and landing zones | Aviation-capable ships and prepared/unprepared landing zones |
| Airframe | MQ-8B platform | Based on Bell 407 helicopter |
| Flight Hours | 16,600+ hours | Developmental testing completed |
| Sorties | 6,200+ | Not publicly disclosed |
| Radar Capability | Multi-mode maritime radar | Not publicly disclosed |
| Weapons Capability | APKWS demonstrated | Not publicly disclosed |
| Range | Baseline | More than 2× MQ-8B |
| Endurance | Baseline | More than 2× MQ-8B |
| Payload Capacity | Baseline | More than 3× MQ-8B |
| Maximum Speed | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
| Maximum Takeoff Weight | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |