Mq-8b
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The Navy is testing out a bigger, badder Fire Scout UAV
The Department of Defense is reportedly readying it's larger and more capable iteration of the MQ-8 Fire Scout UAV for use aboard its Littoral Combat Ships beginning in 2018. Military.com reports that after two years of flight tests, the Navy is prepping its new MQ-8C Fire Scout for operational testing ahead of its eventual deployment. It's predecessor, the MQ-8B, entered service last November aboard the USS Fort Worth.
Navy launches first drone squadron, comprised of ten Fire Scout MQ-8Bs
The US Navy has officially introduced unmanned aircraft along with eight newly manned helicopters into its squadron, making it the latest military branch after the Army and the Air Force to embrace the drone. Indeed, ten of the 18 aircraft to be deployed are Fire Scout MQ-8Bs, an unmanned chopper the Navy wishes to operate from combat ships set in the Pacific in about a year. Built to track targets, the Fire Scout lets troops see what's happening over potentially dangerous areas, allowing them to regroup and rearm if necessary. The drone isn't without its fair share of detractors of course, especially after the occasional communication failure, but here's hoping that these Linux-operated copters will remain well within human control.
