Northrop to add 100 workers to 'robo-helicopter' program

Northrop's MQ-8B has been tested aboard Perry-class frigates and is scheduled to operate from the Navy's new littoral combat ships. — Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman says it will add 100 workers in Rancho Bernardo to enable the company to continue developing its Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle and a new 'robo-helicopter' that will be twice as large. About 200 employees are already assigned to the program.

The company also is negotiating with the Navy to add weapons to Fire Scout, says George Vardoulakis, Northrop's vice president of tactical unmanned systems. One of the remotely-operated helicopters crashed over Libya in June, apparently after being struck by a missile. The 1.5-ton UAV had been operating from the frigate Halyburton, performing surveillance and reconnaissance for NATO.

The Fire Scout is expected to eventually operate from the Navy's new littoral combat ships, helping the vessels conduct everything from surveillance to anti-submarine warfare. But Northrop must first work out technical issues. http://insidedefense.com reported in July that the Fire Scout completed only 54 percent of its missions from Halyburton earlier this year. (Read story.) http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/07 ... ants-more/

And last year, ground controllers briefly lost contact with a Fire Scout that ended up entering restricted airspace over the Washington, D.C. area.

However, the Navy has expressed confidence that the problems will be worked out, and Northrop has been developing Fire X, the prototype for a larger version of the UAV. The new version is being engineered to withstand more severe weather and to stock weapons.

"The market for Fire X and Fire Scout could be substantial, although it will take time to develop," said Philip Finnegan, an analyst at the Teal Group in Fairfax, Virginia. " We see naval UAVs as a strong growth area for the future ...

"Fitting Fire Scout with weapons adds to the appeal of the system. It was part of the growth profile which includes adding a considerable number of capabilities."

Northrop has more than 4,000 employees in San Diego County, about 2,200 of whom work on such UAVs as Global Hawk and the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance aircraft.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011 ... r-program/