Navy deploys mission control system for unmanned helicopter

SAN DIEGO, April 28 (UPI) -- An advanced mission control system for the MQ-8 unmanned helicopter has been deployed aboard the USS Coronado, a littoral combat ship.

The system for the MQ-8 Fire Scout is comprised of U.S. Navy hardware and software from Raytheon.

"Raytheon's UAV ground controls help support Navy missions without putting sailors' lives at risk," said Todd Probert, vice president of Mission Support and Modernization at Raytheon IIS. "Our innovative technology is helping the U.S. military evolve standards of performance and reliability as they accomplish their critical missions more efficiently and effectively."

The Navy's hardware and Raytheon's software are built with an open architecture, allowing the addition of new technology as needed. Under a related effort, the Navy's Common Control System, or NCCS, will be able to control any air, ground, surface and subsurface vehicles as they deploy with the fleet.

Built on the flexible foundation of the Fire Scout Mission Control System that capability will reduce implementation costs and training requirements for unmanned systems.

"Our new Fire Scout MCS enables Fire Scout to bring more mission to more areas," said Navy Capt. Jeff Dodge, The Navy's Fire Scout program manager. "Fire Scout is a proven capability in dynamic littoral environments, and now provides the potential for multiple platforms to be controlled from a single MCS aboard the ship."

USS Coronado, now deployed, is the first littoral combat ship to use the upgraded Fire Scout MCS operationally.