Why did the Navy decide to cancel a key UAS program?
Navy officials offer an explanation for why they decided to cut the Medium-Range Maritime Unmanned Air System program.
The Navy has decided that a new model of the MQ-8 Fire Scout will be sufficient for its medium-range unmanned aircraft system needs at this time, and therefore has canceled the Medium-Range Maritime Unmanned Air System program (MRMUAS), reports Zach Rosenberg at Flightglobal.
The MRMUAS program, which also had the participation and support of the Army, called for a vertical lift unmanned aircraft system to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services, the story said.
“The MRMUAS program was terminated, because as we looked at what we have to provide to ground forces and naval needs, the [Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout], as it moves from the B to the C model, was felt that was enough in terms of what we need there," the Navy said.
The MQ-8C will not only have longer range and endurance, but also greater lifting capacity, the story said.