Fire Scout and UAV news.

[tkobo]

Well, word is Firescout is indeed on track to be canceled.

Eight are said to have been completed and being run thru their paces to determine their use.
In a recent test, a firescout automonously delivered an unmanned ground vehicle to a set location,at which point it acted as an additional control point for the UGV which was controlled primarily from the command center.

The decision to cancel is based on the stance that the shadow UAV meets all the amries current and short term future needs.NOT a very solid stance for one to take.

[tkobo]

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/1st_F ... t_999.html

The Navy will field 121 Fire Scouts, once the platform is fully deployed. The inventory currently stands at seven - one trainer, two at Northrup Grumman for developmental testing, and four the Navy flies during operational evaluations

Seems the navy contract is still alive.

... a top speed of 125 plus knots (about 143 miles per hour), and can fly 110 nautical miles, then hover on station for up to five hours relaying and recording events from distances far enough to remain largely unseen and undetected.

The hoover time is impressive.

[Hundane]

http://www.tgdaily.com/security-feature ... ol-over-dc

[tkobo]

Nothing to worry about, skynet was simply running a test

[SoB]

Allmost lost one ther






"US commanders considered shooting down an unmanned navy helicopter that flew out of control towards the US capital last month before communications were restored, a top US officer says.

Admiral Sandy Winnefeld, who oversees the country's air defenses, says the August 2 incident presented senior officers with an unprecedented dilemma, as a robotic Firescout helicopter strayed off course after losing ground communications, French news service AFP reports. "We were watching this very closely," said Winnefeld, head of US Northern Command and NORAD, the joint US-Canadian air defense command.

"It's headed right for the heart of the national capital region," he told defense reporters. "Do you let it run out of gas and hopefully crash in a farmer's field or do you actually take action to shoot it down? You certainly don't want to shoot it down over a populated area if you can avoid it."

The North American Aerospace Defense Command was on the verge of scrambling F-16 fighter jets to intercept the helicopter when operators regained control of the chopper after 20 minutes, AFP added.

The MQ-8B Fire Scout had taken off from Webster Field at the Patuxent River testing ground in Maryland and broached Washington's restricted air space, but the US Navy said the helicopter never got closer than 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the capital. The admiral said the military was "not close" to shooting down the helicopter but commanders had reviewed possible options.

"So we were going through all that decision calculus and then fortunately got the word that they'd gotten control of it," he said. The episode came as the military presses civilian officials at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ease restrictions on the use of unmanned aircraft over the United States. Winnefeld acknowledged that last month's incident with the runaway Firescout would only reinforce worries about introducing more unmanned aircraft in US airspace.

"It certainly doesn't help our case anytime there's a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) that wanders around a little bit outside of what's controlled air space," he said.

FAA officials have pushed for assurances that sensor systems aboard drones are sufficiently reliable to detect and avoid other planes. The admiral said at the moment he has no unmanned aircraft at his disposal due to the FAA restrictions and that robotic drones will be increasingly in demand to help respond to natural disasters and other needs.

"I share the FAA's goal that air space operations in the United States be conducted safely," he said, but added that it was important to move quickly to resolve the safety concerns."








http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?o ... Itemid=107

[tkobo]

Thats what hundanes link just above is about.

It no big deal,unless your worried about skynet.

UAVs drop connection regularly.The issue here is that the programming supposed to take over when they do,didnt kick in as designed.The issue with the software is already reported fixed.

[SoB]

It i had only just checked defens web and remberd you love the fir scout and was just posting not checking what had been posted

[tkobo]

Fire scout flights to resume again on 20th .

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/09/n ... a-091610w/

Although the Fire Scout has racked up more than 1,000 flight hours since December 2006, this was the first such incident to hit the program, the Navy said.

The cause appeared to have been “a software anomaly that allowed the aircraft not to follow its pre-programmed flight procedures,” Fire Scout program manager Capt. Tim Dunigan said Aug. 25 in an e-mail statement. “We have identified the issue and have aircraft operating restrictions that will prevent this from happening again.”

[tkobo]

http://www.shephard.co.uk/news/uvonline ... tone/7589/
...has passed the 1,000 flight test hours milestone....

[Ruges]

Looking good. Cant wait till we get 10,000 of these things patroling over afghanistan. With everything armed on them from rockets, bombs, missles, and a M230 30mm chaingun on the nose. Then we could bring the majority of our troops home. And the ones that remain for support just stay behind a nicely fortified wall in the middle of nowhere.

[tkobo]

I dont think well see them deployed there in huge numbers,this time around,but unmanned is the future.And its only a matter of time til we see them deployed as the main attack force in wars.

[Ruges]

Yea it was just wishful thinking on my part.

[tkobo]

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Fire_ ... n_999.html

[tkobo]

5 firescouts are being deployed this month for 6 month tours.Two to a guided missile frigate (possibly in the gulf of mexico), and three to support of ground troops in Afghanistan.Word is the software and sensors can detect IEDs

[tkobo]

http://www.popsci.com/technology/articl ... attlefield

Oh noes ! Here comes skynet !