On Dec. 17, the 100th anniversary of manned flight, the U.S. Navy's RQ-8A Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV) system made its own history by completing its 100th consecutive successful flight.

This milestone flight took place at Webster Outlying Field (OLF) near Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., where Fire Scout flew a flawless mission in preparation for continuing flight operations onboard the USS Denver (LPD-9). The flight caps 18 months of successful Fire Scout system development, testing and flight demonstrations during which the UAV system has accumulated approximately 75 flight hours.

"The Wright brothers were disciplined engineers who applied all of their experience, knowledge, test results and tools to the task at hand," said Tom Soard, Northrop Grumman's Fire Scout program manager.

"They left very little to chance, which contributed greatly to their success. The Northrop Grumman, NAVAIR/PMA-263 and Fire Scout industry team has done nothing less in the design, development and test of the Fire Scout System."

Fire Scout's accomplishments in 2003 included:

Selection as the U.S. Army's Future Combat System Class IV UAV, August 2003;

The first UAV system to be Tactical Control System (TCS) Block 2 software compliant (30 flights);

TCS command and control level V from takeoff through landing by an airborne Navy P-3 Orion manned aircraft, Dec. 19, 2003;

13 flights with multiple simultaneous payloads that included the General Atomics Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radar with Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI), the baseline electro-optical/ infrared/ laser designator range finder and a communications relay payload (total payload weight was 430 pounds), July and October 2003.

Significant events in Fire Scout's future include production of eight RQ-8B air vehicles; a performance enhancement program to develop and flight test a four-bladed main rotor system with improved airfoil blades; and a weapons program to provide Fire Scout with a precision strike capability.

Initial engineering/flight test results on the new rotor system indicate that it will triple Fire Scout's payload capacity, double its on-station time at 110 nm (200 pound payload), double its payload volume and enhance system supportability.

Fit checks and engineering for the weapons program have been completed for the installation of two 4-pack 2.75" rocket launchers that will carry Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System laser-guided rockets. Live firings will take place in early 2004 with unguided rockets followed by a guided version when it is available. Other weapons initiatives next year include weapons testing with Viper Strike, a laser-guided precision munition.

The Fire Scout system is in development and low-rate initial production by Northrop Grumman. It will be a force multiplier for Navy forces at sea, and U.S. Army and Marine Corps forces ashore. The air vehicle can operate up to a service ceiling of 20,000 feet and out to 150 nautical miles of its ground control station while providing video imagery. The system can also support intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, targeting and precision strike missions.