Quad A 2011: Fire Scout prepares for land operations
The US Navy's MQ-8B Fire Scout VTOL UAS will take part in its first land-based deployment as part of CENTCOM operations later in the month, according to NAVAIR.
Three air frames were flown directly from Naval Air Station Patuxent Rive, Maryland, to the CENTCOM area of operations earlier this month where it will provide Full Motion Video capabilities for NATO forces.
Defence sources told Shephard that funding ha been secured for a year-long deployment to Afghanistan as part of the 'ISR Task Force' with the air vehicle 'rapidly modified, tested and verified' for land-based operations. NAVAIR would not comment on specific locations but Shephard was informed that operations will focus on North Afghanistan.
The total package, which comprises some 90,000 pounds of equipment and includes three air vehicles, two ground control stations, was shipped out to theatre on board US Air Force C-5 and C-17 aircraft over the past week.
Capt Tim Dunigan, PMA-266 program manager, said: 'It’s very unique for an aircraft to deploy directly from Pax River. We were able to meet tight schedule timelines so we could support the warfighter as soon as possible. The system has proven its capability on its two ship-based deployments, and I am confident it will perform well in CENTCOM.'
According to NAVAIR, the systems will provide 'hundreds of hours of Full Motion Video in theatre supporting US Army and coalition forces during its year-long deployment'. It will also be operated by contractor personnel from Northrop Grumman.
Elsewhere, two Fire Scout systems are conducting counter-piracy operations as part of a NATO battlegroup in the Gulf of Aden. Dunigan said the airframes, operating on board the USS Halyburton until August, had flown a total of more than 200 hours to date.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
![Cummings Aerospace showcases Hellhound loitering munition designed for US Army’s LASSO programme (video)]()
Cummings Aerospace showcases Hellhound loitering munition designed for US Army’s LASSO programme (video)
Cummings Aerospace presented its turbojet-powered Hellhound loitering munition at SOF Week 2025, offering a man-portable solution aligned with the US Army’s LASSO requirements.
-
![SOF Week 2025: PDW unveils attritable FPV drone for SOF operations at scale]()
SOF Week 2025: PDW unveils attritable FPV drone for SOF operations at scale
PDW has revealed its Attritable Multirotor First Person View drone at SOF Week 2025, offering special operations forces a low-cost, rapidly deployable platform for strike and ISR missions, inspired by battlefield lessons from Ukraine.
-
![SOF Week 2025: Teledyne FLIR white paper provides guidance on reusable loitering munitions]()
SOF Week 2025: Teledyne FLIR white paper provides guidance on reusable loitering munitions
Teledyne FLIR is highlighting the emerging requirements for 'recoverable and re-usable' loitering munitions across the contemporary operating environment during this week’s SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida.
-
![SOF Week 2025: Kraken Technology group debuts K3 Scout USV in North America]()
SOF Week 2025: Kraken Technology group debuts K3 Scout USV in North America
High-performance maritime industry player Kraken Technology Group, based in the UK, has used the SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida this week to debut its K3 Scout uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to the North American market.
-
![Palladyne AI and Red Cat to demonstrate capabilities for autonomous drone swarms to the US military]()
Palladyne AI and Red Cat to demonstrate capabilities for autonomous drone swarms to the US military
Red Cat and Palladyne AI recently conducted a cross-platform collaborative flight involving three diverse heterogeneous drones.
-
![Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures]()
Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven another stage of evolution for drones and the counter measures to defend against them.
