
The Navy declared initial operational capability (IOC) for the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter on June 28, the service said on Monday. The Fire Scout is built by Northrop Grumman [NOC] using the Bell [TXT] 407 airframe and is built at the Bell Mirabel, Quebec plant with final assembly and kitting conducted in the U.S. The MQ-8C is a larger and longer-endurance variant of the MQ-8B vehicle that can operate up to 12 hours on station depending on payload. The…