Fire Scout Makes Accidental Drug Bust, Army Program Still Canceled
Writing by Evan Ackerman on Wednesday, 14 of April , 2010 at 12:05 am
When we covered AUVSI last year, we got to watch Northrop Grumman’s Fire Scout unmanned helicopter as it took part in a fake drug bust. Last week, one of the Fire Scouts currently undergoing testing aboard the USS McInerney managed a real drug bust after noticing what turned out to be a “go fast” drug boat on radar. The Fire Scout shadowed the boat for 3 hours, and after it rendezvoused with a fishing boat, the Coast Guard moved in and nabbed the baddies.
EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN (April 3, 2010) During a routine test flight, a MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Take-off and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV) supported its first drug interdiction with USS McInerney (FFG 8) and a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (USCG LEDET). McInerney launched one of its two embarked Fire Scout’s to test different functions and settings when it acquired a suspected narcotics go-fast on radar. The Mission Payload Operator completed testing and received permission to pursue.
Over the course of three hours, Fire Scout monitored the go-fast with McInerney. With its state-of-the-art optics and extremely small profile, Fire Scout was able to maintain an unprecedented covert posture while feeding real-time video back to McInerney. Fire Scout proceeded to capture video of the go-fast meeting with a fishing vessel for what appeared to be a refueling/logistics transfer. McInerney and its embarked USCG LEDET moved in and seized approximately 60 kilos of cocaine and caused the suspected traffickers to jettison another approximately 200 kilos of narcotics.
No matter how cool and useful it might be, the Fire Scout program for the Army is still canceled. Sad face. But, it looks like it might at least have a future in the Navy.
[ Aviation Week ] VIA [ Gizmodo ]
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Category: Military
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Comment by Learned Hand
Made Wednesday, 14 of April , 2010 at 2:54 am
This is a shame given how difficult helicopters are to fly in the first place.
I’m sure more testing, research and development would have been useful in one day replacing actual helicopter pilots…
As you say though (in the link to the other article) they have been cancelled in favour of the UAV aeroplane. It’s probably a smarter decision given the long service history and research poured into UAV aeroplane drones…
