News

AUVSI - Navy Fire Scout readied for initial maritime operational deployment

February 06, 2009

The US Navy will soon conduct the first maritime operational deployment with an MQ-8B Fire Scout UAS, according to Commander Kevin "Q" Quarderer, an "Innovation Officer" within the Commander's Action Group at U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

Speaking to the Association of Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI) Program Review 2009, Quarderer explained, "This Fire Scout deployment kind of gets [SOUTHCOM] back toward one of our main areas of focus: counter-drug [operations]."

"We are an ‘asset strapped' COCOM [combatant command]," he said. "So anywhere that we can buy a little bit ‘more bang for the buck' or I can add one more sensor onto a deployer, we want that."

The upcoming operational deployment will be conducted aboard the frigate USS McInerney [FFG-8] - homeported at Naval Station Mayport, near Jacksonville, Florida - which he identified as "a typical counter-drug deployer."

"But she normally goes out with one HSL [helicopter anti-submarine squadron (light)] aircraft onboard," he added. "We have been diving into this quite a bit through 4th Fleet, our [SOUTHCOM] naval component, and we have arranged for this next deployment to have Fire Scout aboard for what I believe will be the first operational deployment for Fire Scout in a maritime environment."

Quarderer offered a physical comparison between a traditional HSL platform, like the MH-60S/R, and the MQ-8B Fire Scout. In terms of length (64.8 feet for UH-60 vs. 22.9 for MQ-8B, height (17.5 feet vs. 9.4 feet), rotor diameter (53.7 feet vs. 27.6 feet, gross weight (22,500 lbs. vs. 3.150 lbs.), ceiling (13,000 feet vs. 20,000 feet), and endurance (3 . 3.5 hours vs. 8 hours), the Fire Scout parameters offered superior operational considerations.

Taking it as a whole, Quarderer observed, "That's a revolutionary deal for us: being able to expand the coverage and the capability of a maritime deployer working in this area."

"You can see how she compliments the manned platform and provides a little more capability and a little more time on station," he noted. "We are very much looking forward to seeing how this evaluation happens in a real world environment."

By Scott R. Gourley - North America Editor