Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE: NOC) has begun outfitting U.S. Navy MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopters to be armed with weapons systems.
The work falls under a $17 million contract awarded to the company Sept. 23 by Naval Air Systems Command.
By implementing the Advanced Precision Kill weapons system laser-guided 70mm rocket into helicopters, ship commanders will be able to identify and engage hostile targets without needing to call in additional support.
will mark the first sea-based unmanned system to carry weapons. The project is expected to be complete by March 2013.
“By arming Fire Scout, the Navy will have a system that can locate and prosecute targets of interest, ” said George Vardoulakis, Northrop Grumman’s vice president for tactical unmanned systems. “This capability shortens the kill chain and lessens the need to put our soldiers in harm’s way.”
