Posted on Thu, Jan. 05, 2006

Associated Press
MOSS POINT, Miss. - The first of an anticipated 340 Fire Scout unmanned
aerial vehicles to be assembled during the next five years has arrived at
Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems' Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point.

The vertical take-off and landing UAV that resembles a helicopter was
delivered Tuesday.

Don Gaw, systems center site manager, said the initial assembly of the
unmanned craft is done by Schweizer Aircraft, a subsidiary of Sikorski
Helicopter.

"They assembled the frame, installed the engine, rotor shaft and tail
shaft," he said. "We will install the electronics, avionics, the four-blade
rotor and all the electrical wiring, harnesses and controls. Everything to
make it fly."

Currently, the center has hired 20 workers who are undergoing training to
work on Fire Scout. Northrop Grumman officials expect to have 250 employees
eventually working on the Fire Scout and Global Hawk UAVs. Global Hawk is a
fixed-wing, jet UAV used by the U.S. Air Force.

Gaw said the work force will be a mix of local workers and current Northrop
Grumman Integrated Systems employees.

Work on the initial Fire Scout will take about 7-1/2 months to complete and
eventually decrease to a 5-1/2-month assembly period, Gaw said.

Initially, he said, the center will complete 12 Fire Scouts during its first
year of operation. Four of those will go to the Navy, with the remaining
eight being bought by the U.S. Army as reconnaissance aircraft.

"The first two Fire Scouts will be taken to a range and flight tested," Gaw
said. "The others will be flight tested here."

Ground was broken for the unmanned systems center in early 2004 and
construction began soon after. The project has remained on schedule despite
Hurricane Katrina.

Gaw said the building will be divided into two sides -- one to complete the
assembly of Fire Scout and the other side to assemble the fuselage for
Global Hawk.

He said the fuselage and some of the electronics will be assembled at the
Unmanned Systems Center before it is shipped to Palmdale, Calif., for final
assembly and testing.

Work is expected to begin on Global Hawk on June 6.

Any reason why it couldn't have been a NoTAR design?

Quoted: Any reason why it couldn't have been a NoTAR design?

Ask Winston Wolf.  

Nice.

Wonder if it could be used to swoop in and pick up a downed pilot.

looks like stuff from Terminator movies.

Wheres the cannon?

It runs on babies and smiles.  Its a terrible evil machine thats here to destroy humanity.

I am trying to ponder what mission they could be used for besides scouting that can be done by other means. In a MOUT environment these things would be easy prey for a light MG unless it has standoff for maverics or something like that. Command and control would suck if you had to employ a multitude of them in a larger scale warfare situation like Russia charging into Germany and that mission can be done with existing gear. Mabey having a couple on a base in support of patrols in Afganistan?

Will be interisting to see what they are used for as like was posted earlier like the Terninator post..

The glorious thing about these is you can have them run  a pattern around dodging and weaving the whole damn time and the pilot never gets tired.  Plus they can do stupid maneuvers most likely since they are small and not full of people.  This is the future.  Shit like this will make us a force no one wants to tangle with.  An idiot shoots it down with a MG and the other 5 go and blow his ass to hell.  

Strike Drones are fearless...!

Quoted: I am trying to ponder what mission they could be used for besides scouting that can be done by other means. In a MOUT environment these things would be easy prey for a light MG unless it has standoff for maverics or something like that. Command and control would suck if you had to employ a multitude of them in a larger scale warfare situation like Russia charging into Germany and that mission can be done with existing gear. Mabey having a couple on a base in support of patrols in Afganistan? Will be interisting to see what they are used for as like was posted earlier like the Terninator post..

Think off shore.

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Quoted: www.joblo.com/images_wallpapers/wallterminator3-15.jpg Brought to you by Skynet!!