US Navy demonstrates MCM prototype on MQ-8C Fire Scout

The US Navy has successfully demonstrated a mine countermeasure (MCM) prototype technology aboard the MQ-8C Fire Scout UAS at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

The objective of the demonstration was to gather performance data for both the MQ-8C Fire Scout and Single-system Multi-mission Airborne Mine Detection (SMAMD) System, developed by BAE Systems, to inform future MCM integration efforts.

“The team successfully demonstrated that the prototype SMAMD System effectively operates as designed aboard the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter in relevant, real world environments,” said Capt. Thomas Lansley, The US Navy’s Fire Scout program director. “This cutting-edge technology could really enhance Fire Scout’s capability going forward.”

The team conducted operations from the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) utilizing drifting, tethered, and moored mines throughout beach zone to deep waters. They gathered data day and night, across all water depths and in mild to difficult weather conditions.

The demonstration also proved the reliable and repeatable high performance of the Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout. The air vehicle handled the dual podded system with ease, being the first MCM capability flown on the MQ-8C as well as the heaviest payload carried to date. Fire Scout successfully operated in restricted and unrestricted air space alongside other aircraft platforms.

The SMAMD System, developed by BAE Systems under a Future Naval Capability (FNC) Program sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), is an airborne optical sensor suite that, in a single pass, detects and localizes mines and obstacles on land and at sea. With a low false-alarm rate, SMAMD provides real-time detection sent via data link enabling warfighters to respond much quicker to threats than the current MCM technologies allow as post-mission analysis is required.

This effort, led by ONR, included support from multiple organizations across the Navy and industry including the MQ-8 Fire Scout program office, the Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC), Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s (NAWCAD) AIRWorks organisation, Aircraft Prototype Systems Division (APSD), Webster Outlying Field (WOLF), the Digital Analytics Infrastructure and Technology Advancement Group Prototyping, Instrumentation and Experimentation Department, and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Four (UX-24).

The team managed to execute a complex demonstration, including airworthiness and cyber certifications, design, fabrication and hardware integration along with flying qualities testing prior to the final demonstration at Eglin, all in less than 24 months and at a reduced cost.

AIRWorks is NAWCAD’s office focused on rapidly and effectively delivering fast, affordable, quality solutions to meet immediate and emergent warfighter needs working with government and industry partners to deliver services including aircraft modification, prototyping, additive manufacturing, system integration, sustainment, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and rapid contracting.