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Navy/USMC

Navy Developing New MQ-8C Mine Countermeasure Systems, Demo This Spring

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2022

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Navy Developing New MQ-8C Mine Countermeasure Systems, Demo This Spring

An MQ-8 Fire Scout, with mass shapes attached, conducted low airspeed flying qualities testing in February 2022 at Webster Field, Md. to prepare for upcoming the Single System Multi-Mission Airborne Mine Detection (SMAMD) demonstration. (Photo: U.S. Navy)

The Navy is developing a new mine countermeasure system sensor suite to be used on the Northrop Grumman [NOC] MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter, with a prototype test set for this spring, the Navy said on March 2. The new capability is called the Single System Multi-Mission Airborne Mine Detection (SMAMD) Future Naval Capability Program and it aims to help the Fire Scout detect and localize mines and obstacles on land and at sea. The Fire Scout program office is…

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