US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet
The service has been conducting various procurement and development efforts to integrate unmanned surface and underwater vehicles into its inventory.
Osprey radar for MQ-8C Fire Scout
The US Navy has selected Finmeccanica's Osprey AESA radar for its newly-upgraded Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter, the company announced on 17 October.
Under the new contract, an initial batch of five radars will be delivered to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) for evaluation and testing. Once the testing is complete, NAVAIR will have the option to purchase more radar systems.
The company has already built several Osprey radars, so the primary task within the contract will be to integrate the system with the MQ-8C Fire Scout.
The AESA radar is designed to enable operators to spot threats that are beyond the range of standard ship-based sensors. An Osprey-equipped MQ-8C Fire Scout will use high-frequency radio waves to detect targets at long ranges in severe weather, night and other low-visibility conditions. Osprey's flat-panel technology enables it to be installed within the mould line of the helicopter rather than in an underslung belly-pod.
The two-panel radar will provide an instantaneous 240-degree field of view along with various digital modes such as air-to-air targeting, weather detection and a ground moving target indicator. It has an open architecture for the navy to insert future technologies, and an 'E-Scan' design with minimal moving parts for simplified maintenance.
The MQ-8C Fire Scout is expected to be integrated with the navy's littoral combat ships. The helicopter will be launched from the decks of the combat vessels to identify distant threats.
You may also like
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
![US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet]()
-
![Tekever unveils new swarm-controlling UAS]()
Tekever unveils new swarm-controlling UAS
Tekever has manufactured the AR3, AR4 and AR5 UAS with all systems sharing common electronics and software architecture, which has enabled the reuse of ground segment elements within the new ARX UAS.
-
![Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems]()
Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems
As the dynamics of aerial combat rapidly evolve, Chinese scientists have engineered a sophisticated air separation drone model that can fragment into up to six drones, each capable of executing distinct battlefield roles and challenging the efficacy of current anti-drone defences such as the UK’s Dragonfire laser system.
-
![Israel’s MALE UAVs ‘must adapt’ to Iranian-made air defences]()
Israel’s MALE UAVs ‘must adapt’ to Iranian-made air defences
Advancements in air defence technologies have begun to reshape aerial combat dynamics in the Middle East, as illustrated by recent events involving the Israeli Air Force and Hezbollah.
-
![Hundreds more UAS sent to Ukraine forces with thousands more on the way]()
Hundreds more UAS sent to Ukraine forces with thousands more on the way
Both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war have been using UAS for effective low-cost attacks, as well as impactful web and social media footage. Thousands more have now been committed to Ukrainian forces.
-
![AI and software companies selected for US Army Robotic Combat Vehicle subsystems]()
AI and software companies selected for US Army Robotic Combat Vehicle subsystems
The US Army has intentions to develop light, medium and heavy variants of the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) as part of the branche’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle family.
