Fire Scout Makes 11 Hour Long-Range Flight

MQ-8C FireScout

The MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter has made an 11-hour, long-range flight. During an endurance demonstration from Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, the Fire Scout flew 150 miles and 11 hours on a planned 10-hour flight, and still had an hour’s fuel in reserve, according to a Northrop Grumman announcement. Continue reading

Robotic Landing Gear for Helicopters


Helicopters are incredibly manoeuvrable in the air, but during landing and takeoff their traditional skid- and wheel-based landing gear requires stable, flat surfaces—surfaces that are often unavailable in helicopter-needy environs such as forward operating areas, ships at sea and natural-disaster zones. Having the ability to land on and take off from angled, irregular and moving surfaces would greatly expand the effectiveness of helicopters across many military and national security missions. Continue reading

FALCON – Internet for the Battlespace

BAES_falcon1The BAE Systems designed Falcon system gives the British Army and Royal Air Force a real advantage in the digital age. Falcon is a fully deployable, tactical communications system with an impressive ability to interface with a wide range of other systems. This means that voice, data and video information can now be shared securely across the battlespace using one common system. Continue reading