Luis Avila, senior flight mechanic, prepares the Fire-X unmanned aerial system for a recent test at YPG (Photo by Mark Schauer)
The MQ-8B Fire Scout was the first UAS to land on a moving ship without being controlled by a ground-based operator and, five years later, a new version of the platform dubbed the Fire-X is currently undergoing test at YPG. “It provides a heavier lift capability than the Fire Scout, is faster, and can fly higher,” said Darryl Abling, test and evaluation site manager for Northrop Grumman. “It’s not designed to replace the Fire Scout platform, but to complement its capabilities as a part of a family of systems.”
Based on the Bell 407, a conventional manned helicopter, the Fire-X’s designers removed the typical flight controls and replaced them with unmanned avionics similar to those on the Fire Scout. The platform’s designers calculated flight models for the aircraft in various conditions and seek to validate them with real-world testing at the proving ground.
“Fire-X is being subjected to very rigorous flight tests,” said John Penny, test officer. “We want to ensure the system is more than capable of meeting our customer’s requirements. YPG provides a great place for us to accomplish these activities.”
This intense phase of testing will consist of missions across the proving ground’s vast ranges that simulate the kind of action the platform would see in theatre. It could be something relatively simple like taking a surveillance photo of a given waypoint, or more complex tasks like touching down to deliver simulated medical supplies or ammunition.
YPG’s highly instrumented ranges and support capabilities also allow the platform’s targeting laser to be tested on moving military vehicles. Live fire could even be incorporated into the testing. None of this would be possible without YPG’s more than 2,000 square miles of restricted airspace over the desolate range: if the platform failed during a test, it would crash far from any populated area.
“YPG has sunny weather year-round and a wide-open range with restricted airspace, so we don’t have to worry about non-participating civilian aircraft coming through,” said Abling. “It gives us the flexibility we need to do envelope expansion testing, which is inherently risky. The support we get from YPG range personnel is nothing less than superb.”
“There are not many places in the world with the assets, infrastructure and support elements of YPG,” added Gene Hunt, YPG test officer managing the evaluation.
Source: Yuma Proving Ground