
The Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VX-1) finished the first comprehensive operational test of its new shipboard unmanned helicopter late last month, the service said on Monday. Initial operational test and evaluation of the Northrop Grumman [NOC] MQ-8C Fire Scout, conducted June 29, saw the aircraft perform several mission scenarios aboard the Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) off the coast of southern California.Testing included simulated engagements to evaluate the aircraft’s target identification, intelligence gathering, and surface warfare capabilities. The…