MQ-8 Fire Scout
The US Navy's historical uncrewed-helicopter family, with MQ-8B retired and MQ-8C subject to a documented divestment decision.
- Country / region
- United States
- Programme status
- See profile
- Sources reviewed
- 21 Sept 2026
- Primary domain
- Air
- System type
- Reconnaissance aircraft
- Developer / manufacturer
- Northrop Grumman
- Origin / production countries
- United States
- Other names
- No additional names recorded
- Variants / configurations
- MQ-8B; MQ-8C
- Operators / programme customers
- US Navy (historical; retirement/divestment context applies)
Evidence & current status
Navy budget documents confirm the divestment decision, not completion of every airframe transfer. The two variants are not numerically interchangeable.
Role & capabilities
- Ship-based reconnaissance heritage
- Uncrewed helicopter operations
- Maritime sensor integration
Specifications in context
- Airframe
- MQ-8C: Bell 407-derived uncrewed helicopter
C variant only; MQ-8B is a different airframe.
Source - Launch / recovery
- Not established in the reviewed public sources.
Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted.
Source - Propulsion
- Not established in the reviewed public sources.
Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted.
Source - Dimensions
- Not established in the reviewed public sources.
Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted.
Source - Mass
- Not established in the reviewed public sources.
Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted.
Source - Endurance
- MQ-8C: up to 12 hours on station, depending on payload
NAVAIR's 2019 claim is on-station time, not a guarantee for every mission.
Source - Range
- Not established in the reviewed public sources.
Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted.
Source - Speed
- Not established in the reviewed public sources.
Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted.
Source - Altitude
- Not established in the reviewed public sources.
Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted.
Source - Payload
- Not established in the reviewed public sources.
Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted.
Source - Sensors
- Not established in the reviewed public sources.
Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted.
Source - Communications / navigation
- Not established in the reviewed public sources.
Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted.
Source