Image source: topwar.ru
In recent years, the American Navy has invested heavily in the development and acquisition of drones, both flying and marine. However, not all products were satisfied with the results of operation by the Navy command.
One of the problematic drones turned out to be the MQ-8C FireScout unmanned helicopter from the Northrop Grumman concern, which was supposed to be equipped with various surface ships, such as littoral LCS or the new Constellation-class frigate.
FireScout has an air ceiling of 3.8 thousand meters, a flight time of 5.5 hours and a speed of 85 knots. The complex, consisting of three such devices, should be able to provide up to 12 hours of continuous operation, moving away from the home ship at a distance of up to 110 nautical miles.
- says the Defensa edition.
Unlike the two initial versions of the UAV, created on the basis of the Bell 407 commercial helicopter, FireScout has greater autonomy and payload capacity, and is easier to maintain.
- it is noted in the publication.
Image source: topwar.ru
In 2016, the U.S. Navy purchased 10 units of the MQ-8C FireScout for $108.1 million. In December 2021, the drone was deployed for the first time aboard one of the LCS, the USS Milwaukee. Since then, these devices have been placed on only 4 ships.
As indicated in the fleet's budget request, the operation of the MQ-8C will end in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024, and the decommissioning of the entire fleet will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026 (the fiscal year in the United States ends in September).
The U.S. Navy planned to purchase 177 MQ-8C for $3.47 billion for deployment on surface ships, investing about $1.5 billion in its development. In total, 36 devices have entered service, of which only 17 are in use, and the rest are in storage.
As indicated in the publication, the decision to get rid of them could have been made due to the high cost of acquisition and maintenance of FireScout:
However, in connection with the FireScout's decommissioning, there is a question of equipping Constellation-class frigates with new UAVs. This problem concerns LCS ships less, since they themselves are the first candidates for retirement from the fleet.
