Ramona Adams
Leonardo-Finmeccanica has secured a contract to provide active electronically scanned array radars for integration onto the U.S. Navy‘s new MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter built by Northrop Grumman.
The company said Monday it will deliver five Osprey AESA radars to the Naval Air Systems Command to support testing and evaluation work and NAVAIR has the option to acquire more radars for real operations.
Leonardo-Finmeccanica will integrate radars with the service branch’s MQ-8C helicopter ahead of first production deliveries.
The Navy selected the two-panel version of Osprey that is designed to provide a 240-degree field of view range as well as weather detection, air-to-air targeting and a ground moving target indicator, Leonardo-Finmeccanica noted.
Osprey will work to help the MQ-8C detect targets at long ranges and in various weather and visibility conditions, the company said.
The Navy plans to integrate MQ-8C Fire Scout with Freedom-class and Independence-class littoral combat ships.
