NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- The Navy’s Fire Scout
is proving its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)
capability during its first land-based deployment in the U.S. Central
Command area of responsibility.
The Fire Scout, managed by Navy and Marine Corps Multi-Mission Tactical
Unmanned Air Systems program office (PMA-266), deployed in late April to
CENTCOM in response to a DoD ISR Task Force request to provide ISR
services in northern Afghanistan.
In nine months, PMA-266, in conjunction with ISR task force leadership
and Northrop Grumman, conducted site surveys of various basing
locations, interfaced with key leadership personnel in the CENTCOM chain
of command, planned and executed deployment preparations and
sustainment for joint and allied military operations in Regional
Command North, Afghanistan.
“We are very pleased with Fire Scout’s performance during both its
ship-based and CENTCOM deployments,” said Capt. Tim Dunigan, PMA-266
Program Manager. “The team has done an exceptional job testing and
maintaining the system to ensure we could meet the warfighter’s
demands.”
Fire Scout’s initial flight in theater took place May 2. Only 19 days
later, PMA-266 Detachment Alpha established initial operational
capability during its first tasked mission from the International
Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command North area of
responsibility.
The Fire Scout system provides full motion video and imagery from its
electro-optical and infrared sensor payload along with laser designation
of targets for troops in the field. With flight endurance of more than
five hours, the system offers a long-dwell sensor with real-time
dynamic re-tasking capability to respond to tactical forces.
Additionally, a communication relay capability provides a
beyond-line-of-sight capacity for troops and their commanders.
“Our team is very excited about the first expeditionary deployment of
the Fire Scout system”, said Cmdr. Brian Stephens, Officer in Charge
(OIC) for PMA-266 Detachment Alpha. “In less than one month, we have
flown more than 200 flight hours and completed more than 80 sorties and
we are on track to fly 300 hours per month.”
PMA-266 Detachment Alpha is a government owned/contractor operated
deployment. The detachment includes a military OIC and assistant OIC,
five Navy intelligence analysts, and 21 Northrop Grumman contractors to
conduct missions in support of RC North tasking.
NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. -- The Navy’s Advanced
Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) successfully completed its first
test on the EA-18G Growler in China Lake, Calif. May 25.
A combined government/industry team conducted the EA-18G captive carry
flight test in parallel with the ongoing AARGM Integrated Test &
Evaluation phase on the FA-18 C/D aircraft.
Captive carry tests are simulated launches where the weapon stays on the
aircraft. The team gathers information from sensors on the weapon to
evaluate AARGM performance.
“AARGM is a very capable weapon performing a complex mission. VX-31 and
VX-9 have done a superb job of carrying and testing the weapon on
FA-18C/Ds as well as Super Hornets,” said Cmdr. Chad Reed, deputy
program manager for Anti-Radiation Missiles within the Direct and Time
Sensitive Strike program office (PMA-242). “AARGM has the potential to
be a superb compliment, a force multiplier, in fulfilling current
Growler missions.”
A complement to the existing AGM-88C High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile
(HARM), AARGM provides the warfighter with a supersonic, air-launched
tactical missile to be carried on the FA-18C/D, and Italian Air Force
Tornado electronic countermeasures/reconnaissance aircraft.
“AARGM has demonstrated a much greater accuracy than our existing HARM
inventory in striking hostile emitters,” Reed added. “The weapon is
specifically designed to increase our warfighting capabilities in
neutralizing enemy air defenses and will provide aircrews with an
additional tool for the electronic attack mission.”
According to Reed, the successful integration of AARGM with the EA-18G
on this milestone first flight, as well as with F/A-18E/F aircraft
bodes well for the success of the program. AARGM has already flown more
than 175 flight hours since November 2010, including 25 hours on Super
Hornet and Growler aircraft.
Navy's Fire Scout buy was just cut
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