The company's Integrated Systems sector is developing the enhanced vertical takeoff and landing UAV for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army. The Navy and Army conducted contractual reviews of the new configuration in order to monitor the system's continued development to common requirements.

"Northrop Grumman and our primary customers conducted detailed milestone reviews of the new RQ-8B including a preliminary review of the system's design, airframe and propulsion systems," said Doug Fronius, Northrop Grumman's director for the Fire Scout program.

"The company committed to enhance Fire Scout's performance in order to meet challenging requirements set by both the Navy and the Army including the ability to maintain current performance while carrying heavier and more robust payloads. These key reviews ensured that we are on track to cost-effectively develop and deliver the optimum system for our customers."

Additional reviews are planned for later this year to validate system upgrades, review Fire Scout's compatibility with the Navy's next-generation littoral combat ship and with NATO interoperability standards, perform weapons integration for Army-related applications, and review the system's modular payload architecture.

Northrop Grumman is also working with the Navy on Fire Scout capabilities that will be critical to the littoral combat ship's mission to protect and monitor the shoreline, coastal waters and open seas.

These will include Fire Scout's ability to deploy precision-guided munitions and to carry several new payloads for advanced communications, maritime and land-based surveillance, and mine detection. The mine-detection payloads will use sensors Northrop Grumman is developing for the Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

The company continues to conduct risk-reduction flight tests of the current RQ-8A configuration at the Navy's UAV test facility at the Webster Field annex, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. Current tests have validated and verified Fire Scout's data communications and navigation systems. Testing will continue through June.

The flight-test team is also preparing the system for a flight demonstration on June 27 at the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's demonstration day, also at Webster Field. The Navy-sponsored demonstration day provides a venue for UAV producers to conduct flight demonstrations for military customers and other government officials.

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