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NATO Rotary Wing UAS Crashes in North Afghanistan

Posted on April 11, 2012 by The Editor

An International Security Assistance Force rotary-wing unmanned aircraft crashed in northern Afghanistan on April 6.

The cause of the crash is currently being assessed, however initial reporting indicates there was no enemy activity in the area. The site has been secured and no injuries have been reported as a result of the incident.

Navy grounds Fire Scout helicopter drones after 2 crashes

The Navy confirms that it temporarily suspended flights of the 14 remaining Fire Scouts, robotic spy helicopters developed by Northrop Grumman.

An MQ-8B Fire Scout is flown remotely in Afghanistan. The Navy has accepted delivery of 16 of the 168 helicopter drones it has ordered from Northrop Grumman. 

The U.S. Navyhas grounded a fleet of helicopter drones after two of the aircraft crashed overseas within a week.

Known as MQ-8B Fire Scouts, the robotic spy choppers were developed by Northrop Grumman Corp.engineers in Rancho Bernardo, Calif. Armed with high-powered cameras, radars and sensors, they were first deployed to war zones in Afghanistan and Libya last year.

On Tuesday, the Navy confirmed that it had temporarily suspended flight operations for its 14 remaining Fire Scouts while system performance and operational procedures are reviewed. It also said that the crashes resulted in no injuries or damage to other aircraft.