SAN DIEGO, May 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In preparation for
ship-board flights this spring, the Northrop Grumman Corporation
(NYSE: NOC)-built MQ-8C Fire Scout will be tested for its ability
to operate safely in the intense electromagnetic environment aboard
U.S. Navy ships.
A photo accompanying this release is available at
http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/mediagallery.html?pkgid=25132.
The MQ-8C Fire Scout uses specially-designed cages, known as
Faraday cages, to protect sensitive equipment on the aircraft from
signal interference.
"All Navy aircraft must go through electromagnetic interference
testing to ensure they can operate safely in the ship environment,"
said Capt. Patrick Smith, Fire Scout
program manager at Naval Air Systems Command. "We're confident that
the design of the Faraday cages and other engineering work done on
the MQ-8C Fire Scout will pass these tests."
The MQ-8C is based on a larger helicopter airframe and can fly
almost twice as long and carry three times more
intelligence-gathering sensor payloads than the MQ-8B variant.
During the program's design phase, a team of engineers created a
new modular Faraday cage that protects electronic systems in
flight.
"Almost 95 percent of what makes up the MQ-8B variant is reused
in the MQ-8C to save money and the time needed to conduct a test
program. However, we took advantage of lessons learned to
incorporate a more modern shielding device in the new aircraft,"
said George Vardoulakis, vice
president, medium range tactical systems, Northrop Grumman.
The Faraday cages are built by Summit Aviation in Somerset, Kentucky, and installed during final
assembly at Northrop Grumman's Unmanned Systems Center in
Moss Point, Mississippi.
Since first flight Oct. 31, the
MQ-8C Fire Scout has flown 102 flights. The initial flight tests
will validate that the autonomous control systems of the helicopter
are working properly before its first ship-based demonstration.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing
innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems,
cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and
commercial customers worldwide. Please visit
www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
SOURCE Northrop Grumman Corporation