According to the US National Interest bimonthly website on April 22, the MQ-8C "Firepower Scout" unmanned reconnaissance helicopter has undergone a variety of purpose tests, such as mine sweeping, anti-submarine and communication relay.

  The birth of the MQ-8C originated from the U.S. Navy's need to replace the earlier and smaller MQ-8B unmanned helicopter with a more powerful unmanned helicopter. The MQ-8C was called "Fire-X" during its research and development phase and was designed to overcome the limitations of older models, especially in terms of battery life and payload.

  In fact, the development of the MQ-8C is based on the proven Bell 407 civil helicopter fuselage, combining commercial reliability with advanced autonomous unmanned technology. Although the history of the MQ-8C is only about ten years, the U.S. Navy plans to eliminate this model by 2026.

  The MQ-8C was jointly designed by US arms contractor Northrop Grumman and Bell Helicopters, integrating the Bell 407 fuselage with the MQ-8B avionics system and autonomous unmanned system. The project began in 2010, when Northrop Grumman announced that he planned to modify a Bell 407 to accommodate autonomous unmanned missions.

  The MQ-8C made its first flight on October 31, 2013 and formed its initial combat capability on June 28, 2019. It is understood that the MQ-8C was only deployed on the USS Milwaukee for the first time in December 2021.

  The MQ-8C is equipped with a four-leaf main rotor and a two-leaf tail rotor, using the 250-C47E engine of the British Rolls-Royce Company. Compared with the old engines, the 250-C47E has a 5% increase in power and a 2% reduction in fuel consumption, and a higher reliability.

  At first glance, the MQ-8C is like a weapon in the Terminator series, with a maximum take-off weight of 6,000 pounds (about 2,700 kg), a payload of more than 700 pounds, and a maximum lifting load of 2,650 pounds.

  The MQ-8C can fly up to 12 hours, with a mileage of 172 miles (about 276 kilometers), and hover time is twice that of the older models. This is conducive to extending the time of over-visual surveillance and aiming, and is crucial for maritime operations in complex coastal environments.

  Under the control of the ground control station or portable mission control station, the MQ-8C can take off and land independently on the ship or without pre-prepared landing zone. Such flexibility is conducive to rapid deployment in harsh environments.

  According to reports, in fact, the excellent capabilities of the MQ-8C just once again show that, like other advanced military forces in the world, the US military is accelerating the acceptance of increasingly advanced drone systems, hoping to allow drones to complete more missions.

  The report believes that in many ways, although the MQ-8C is unique, the US Navy has insufficient utilization of it, so it decided to eliminate it within two years, which can be said to be a waste of opportunities. But on the other hand, the U.S. Navy will usher in other more advanced unmanned systems. In addition, the lessons learned from MQ-8C are very valuable. The MQ-8C proves undoubtedly that there is a tangible permanent transformation in the military field—a shift that is increasingly inclined toward unmanned systems. (Translated by Liu Ziyan)

[Editor in charge: Wang Jinzhi]