Fire Scout Helps with Targeting in Navy Missile Targeting
A few weeks ago in California, the “Wildcards” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 of the U.S. Navy successfully tested the MQ-8B Fire Scout UAS in its effort to assist the MH-60S Seahawk Helicopter fire an AGM-114N Hellfire missile at a moving target.
The MH-60S launched from the Naval Air Station North Island, while the Northrop Grumman-built MQ-8B Fire Scout operated from the NAS Point Mugu. The test was conducted at a designated live-fire range off the coast of NAS Point Mugu. Once the Fire Scout identified the target for the MH-60S, it transmitted the location of the target to the MH-60S. The Fire Scout then lased the target, which was moving between 10-15 knots, and the MH-60S fired.
“It was awesome to see the MQ-8B and MH-60S tactics and procedures being used in conjunction with each other for the first time,” said Lt. Cdr. Thanh Nguyen, who was on hand as one of the pilots of the MH-60S. “We were able to validate the Fire Scout's ability to find and designate a target, which greatly expands the lethal range of the MH-60S while keeping air crews out of harm's way.”
