US Navy gives go-ahead for Fire-X
The US Navy has given Northrop Grumman, Bell Helicopter and Rolls Royce the green light to deliver eight Fire-X VTOL UAVs in a programme dubbed the ‘next-generation Fire Scout’.
According to Northrop Grumman, a $262 million contract signed on 23 April will see the joint venture produce an initial tranche of UAVs with additional plans for the navy to acquire a further 20 aircraft under a rapid development effort.
The news follows the US Navy’s decision to ground its fleet of 14 MQ-8B Fire Scouts following two recent incidents.
Earlier in the month, the navy said system performance and operational
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