Flexibility of Fire Scout Applied to ASW Fight (Studio)
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) could bring unique capabilities to anti-submarine warfare (ASW) search and detection missions, increasing range and endurance, and freeing up manned platforms for other roles.
Indeed, Northrop Grumman recently demonstrated such capabilities for its MQ-8C Fire Scout.
The demonstration in late 2020 saw a surrogate platform – a modified, manned Bell 407 – equipped with sonobuoys, receiver and processor from the UK’s Ultra Electronics. The test was the first time a vertical take-off surrogate UAS was used to conduct a large area multistatic acoustic search.
Dan Redman, Fire Scout maritime mission expansion lead at Northrop Grumman, says the company has for some time been looking at potential new missions for its UAS fleet, against the backdrop of declining budgets and ageing fleets in NATO member states and their allies.
Efforts were focused on the Fire Scout and the MQ-4C Triton, both of which are already in service with the US Navy. The platforms’ manned counterparts – the MH-60R Seahawk and the Boeing P-8 Poseidon – both focus on ASW, ‘so it just seemed natural to us that we would go down that route’.
Redman says Northrop Grumman partnered with ASW specialist Ultra Electronics to jointly develop the capability, with the British company already ‘on a path to reduce the size, weight and power of their equipment… there was a great match between our systems and their technology’.
This partnership culminated in the test off the coast of Southern California in October, during which the companies demonstrated the capacity for an enhanced Fire Scout to carry and deploy “G”-size buoys, which are 16.5 inches long.
Thomas Link, president of Ultra Maritime, said at the time of the original partnership that ‘operating prototype hardware in a high-pressure, real-world environment can be challenging. Our partnership will bring an innovative and leading ASW capability into operation, combining both manned and unmanned ASW systems that will help defend our warfighters and provide increased capability to our forces’.
In the demonstration, the sonobuoys were dropped from the helicopter and the companies conducted the various facets of a typical ASW mission, Redman explains.
This included both passive and active detection, and the multistatic approach, which deploys a mix of specialised active and passive buoys at different locations to generate a more detailed picture.
This latter option is particularly interesting for the Fire Scout, Redman says, as it ‘allows us to match our endurance with a very large field size to be searched’.
The Fire Scout is already qualified for all US Navy, air-capable ships, Redman notes, meaning operators ‘don’t have to start from scratch’ to develop such a UAS ASW capability, which would be costly in both time and money.
The company’s analysis shows that the platform can carry up to 40 G-size sonobuoys, flying for up to 12 hours as far as 100 miles from its ship. Additionally, the platform is organic to the ship, he notes, meaning operators are not required to call up a capability from land.
‘It keeps you safe and pushes that threat bubble very far out,’ Redman says.
Using Fire Scout in ASW search and detection essentially gives it a dual maritime surveillance capability, as it already has a radar integrated onboard. This versatility can free up manned platforms for other missions, Redman notes, while there could also be significant opportunities for manned-unmanned teaming in various configurations of platforms.
‘There’s a cost to having those manned aircraft conduct the initial search phase of an ASW mission,’ Redman says.
‘It takes an awfully long time, and that’s going to increase costs, and it’s going to increase wear and tear on those manned assets.’
Adapting Fire Scout for ASW could save costs on manned platforms, ‘and then use them for the really important missions where they’re needed’.
Fire Scout has already been certified for many ships, Redman emphasises, and could readily qualify for other air-capable platforms in the international market.
‘It’s in the system logistically and it’s well-proven through all the work that’s been done – it’s already flying,’ he says.
‘You don’t have any real hurdles to overcome … all the airworthiness and safety issues that have to be addressed have already been done with a Fire Scout, so you can take advantage of that.’
The companies have completed the prototyping and demonstration phases and now aim to develop a production sonobuoy launcher, likely sometime in the second half of 2022.
In their original announcement, the companies noted that while the US Navy has not yet identified a clear requirement for such a UAS ASW capability, it has shown interest in the development and is monitoring and supporting progress.
Redman says there has also been a strong level of international interest in the project.
‘Our goal is to be ready. If the Navy isn't the first customer, there may be another customer that will be first, but we want to have the technology and we want to be ready to go.’
More from Studio
-
The HF Renaissance – The Evolving Electronic Warfare Threats and the Need for Resilient Waveforms (Studio)
Amid modern warfare’s complexity and electronic warfare threats, NATO and its allies are balancing legacy systems with new technologies. With the importance of resilient waveforms underscored, High Frequency (HF) technology has emerged as a robust solution, leading to an “HF renaissance”.
-
Conversation with the CEO - Intelsat's David Wajsgras (video)
David Wajsgras, CEO of Intelsat, speaks with Shephard Studio about the company's role as a global satellite operator focusing on defence and security, highlighting trends in geostationary (GEO) and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and emphasising the need for interoperability to enable seamless, global connectivity.
-
How Next-Generation Optical Systems Are Transforming Multi-Domain Operations (Studio)
Optical solutions are crucial for effective situational awareness. As militaries prepare for the joint all-domain command and control (JADC2) future, Raytheon ELCAN is embracing innovation in digital engineering, material science and beyond to ensure its customers thrive in the data-driven battlespace.
-
Embracing the Future of Warfare: US and Allies Forge Ahead with Multi-Domain Operations (Studio)
Despite the complexity and technological challenges, experts believe the multi-domain operations (MDO) concept is the key to modern warfare. Fostering alliances, advanced technology, and a shift in mindset are crucial to achieving MDO’s potential.
-
The Imperative of Collaborative Innovation in European Defence (Opinion)
The dynamics of global defence are shifting, and isolated endeavours are increasingly giving way to collaborative innovation, joint ventures, and partnerships. Steve Griessel, CEO of Paramount, argues that as Europe navigates its defence priorities, the pressing question is not what we must create but with whom we must join hands.