Bernard
Junior Member
Is there a broken down assessment of each of the three bids in the contract competiton?
US Military News, Reports, Data, etc.
- Thread starter tphuang
- Start date
Is there a broken down assessment of each of the three bids in the contract competiton?
U.S. Navy Demonstrates Endurance on the MQ-8C Fire Scout
POINT MUGU, Calif. — Northrop Grumman Corp. and the U.S. Navy successfully demonstrated endurance capabilities with the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter, the company announced in an Aug. 25 release.
On a planned 10-plus hour flight and range out to 150 nautical miles flight from Naval Base Ventura County, the MQ-8C Fire Scout achieved 11 hours with more than an hour of fuel in reserve.
The long-range, long-endurance flight was part of a series of capability based tests used by the Navy to validate their concept of operations and previously tested performance parameters. The Navy conducted the demonstration with support of Northrop Grumman engineers.
“Endurance flights provide a full evaluation of the MQ-8C Fire Scout systems,” said CAPT Jeff Dodge, program manager, Fire Scout, Naval Air Systems Command. “We can better understand the capability of the system and look at crew tasks and interactions in a controlled environment. This will allow us to adjust operational procedures to maximize the system’s effectiveness.”
This is a new flight record set for the MQ-8 Fire Scout; a system designed to provide persistent reconnaissance, situational awareness, and precision targeting support for ground, air and sea forces.
“Today’s MQ-8C Fire Scout performance matches our model exactly,” said George Vardoulakis, vice president, medium range tactical systems, Northrop Grumman. “With adjustments, our production aircraft will have 12 hours of total endurance on a standard day.
This prolonged endurance gives the Navy’s commanders a tremendous operational advantage. Increased time-on-station and fewer launch and recovery cycles better enables the Navy’s diverse missions.”
The MQ-8C Fire Scout completed its developmental flight test program earlier this year and has operational assessment planned for later this year. The MQ-8C Fire Scout has accumulated more than 513 flight hours and flown 353 sorties
With some small missiles and rockets can be very good.
POINT MUGU, Calif. — Northrop Grumman Corp. and the U.S. Navy successfully demonstrated endurance capabilities with the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter, the company announced in an Aug. 25 release.
On a planned 10-plus hour flight and range out to 150 nautical miles flight from Naval Base Ventura County, the MQ-8C Fire Scout achieved 11 hours with more than an hour of fuel in reserve.
The long-range, long-endurance flight was part of a series of capability based tests used by the Navy to validate their concept of operations and previously tested performance parameters. The Navy conducted the demonstration with support of Northrop Grumman engineers.
“Endurance flights provide a full evaluation of the MQ-8C Fire Scout systems,” said CAPT Jeff Dodge, program manager, Fire Scout, Naval Air Systems Command. “We can better understand the capability of the system and look at crew tasks and interactions in a controlled environment. This will allow us to adjust operational procedures to maximize the system’s effectiveness.”
This is a new flight record set for the MQ-8 Fire Scout; a system designed to provide persistent reconnaissance, situational awareness, and precision targeting support for ground, air and sea forces.
“Today’s MQ-8C Fire Scout performance matches our model exactly,” said George Vardoulakis, vice president, medium range tactical systems, Northrop Grumman. “With adjustments, our production aircraft will have 12 hours of total endurance on a standard day.
This prolonged endurance gives the Navy’s commanders a tremendous operational advantage. Increased time-on-station and fewer launch and recovery cycles better enables the Navy’s diverse missions.”
The MQ-8C Fire Scout completed its developmental flight test program earlier this year and has operational assessment planned for later this year. The MQ-8C Fire Scout has accumulated more than 513 flight hours and flown 353 sorties
With some small missiles and rockets can be very good.
kwaigonegin
Colonel
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Well I can see where you are coming from to a degree.New 'jeep' for Army, Marines. After years of product selection and multiple committes it appears that we now have a winner to replace Humvees.
On paper it appears to be an evolutionary improvement in almost all aspect from the humvee however I'm not a big fan of everything getting bigger, heavier and much much more expensive.
There is do doubt this is a very capable vehicle however it's getting to become more of a jack of all trades and master of none. The original concept of the jeep was a mechanically simple, light, quick, cheap, highly mobile 'personnel' vehicle for infantry, officers etc in the field. So cheap you can make em in signficant numbers. A vehicle that can be easily fix or even pull out by a couple men when it goes into a ditch!
A mechanic with couple days training can fix 90% of the issues with a wrench and a hammer.
That principle has not change since WW II. We will ALWAYS need vehicles like that. It appears we're straying further and further away from that principle of quick mobility.
When the most basic vehicle in inventory is essentially a small AFV there is a major problem. This vehicle will be average in almost everything but good in none. The weight, the size, the complexity defeats the purpose of the idea of such vehicles.
If the situation warrants it there are MRAPS and Bradleys.
There is nothing basic or certainly nothing light about the JLTV.
We need to keep the basic transport.. well basic!
.. and I forsee many of you will disagree with my assessment but that's ok.
The basics of modern warfare are pushing heavier loads and heavier electronic demands and the WW2 just can't cut it even the humvee is having problems. Iraq and Afghanistan demanded armored vehicles and the hummer was not built to take that.
So the JLTV came in aimed to be a vehicle that could be up armored or just move as a utility vehicle. It is derived from a MRAP designed for Off road and Urban environments.
Now if you are worried that the army is forgetting the need of a lightweight vehicle that can be dropped off and used for quick engagements and is simple as possible. Well at the same time the Army and Marines was running this program the Army and Marines were shopping for that very vehicle.
Army infantry units have been training on and procuing off the shelf MRZR a Polaris made quad ATV that seats up to 4.
The 82nd Airborne have been shopping for a internally transportable 4x4 that can seat 9 paratroopers and be dropped from a C130 or a CH47. USSOCOM bought the GD Flyer that can be dropped from again CH47 or even a V22 and the Marines have the Growler ITV which is more or less a massively updated Jeep for use from V22 or Ch53K and can even be loaded in the back of a AAV7A1.
Bernard
Junior Member
Haha, not my idea of broken down summary...
kwaigonegin
Colonel
yes I'm aware of those vehicles but again it just mucks everything up. Is the army going to buy 100,000 of the MRZRs or it is only for socom or special use? Those vehicles are niche products and not mainstream. I was thinking more along the lines of a general mainstream truly lightweight vehicle for our troops for everyday use like the jeep was for decades.
Pretty soon the lines will be blurred between a 'jeep' and a MRAP. the Army already order thousands of MRAPs and MaxxPros. There are 4 or 5 vehicles now that are relatively similar in nature. $$ would be better spent concentrating on a jeep willy like vehicle and a heavier type vehicle... otherwise might as well just drive an abram even to BX.
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Kwai I think I covered a good number of the ultra light weight vehicles in this thread
https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/light-ultra-light-military-utility-vehicle-thread.t7316/
The MRZR is probably the closest thing to what you want. No frills a engine 4 wheels a roll cage and 4 seats. Can mount light infantry weapons and it will fit in just about any transport. Engine is a common off the shelf ATV model.
The Hummvee has and remains for the moment the prime mover. Its been unarmored but in the process is showing problems because the chassis is just not built for that.
JLTV is aimed to replace most of the Humvees. As the prime utility vehicle. But i need to clarify that it is not a pure MRAP. It can be armored to a MRAP and shares a pedigree with the M-ATV but the two are different vehicles. L-ATV is built to be a utility vehicle. Also along side the MRZR and L-ATV/Humvee for basic day to day on base the army and Marines maintain a number of other vehicles that tend not to get attention. On base gulf carts and pick up trucks are common sights and often perform day to day missions.
https://www.sinodefenceforum.com/light-ultra-light-military-utility-vehicle-thread.t7316/
The MRZR is probably the closest thing to what you want. No frills a engine 4 wheels a roll cage and 4 seats. Can mount light infantry weapons and it will fit in just about any transport. Engine is a common off the shelf ATV model.
The Hummvee has and remains for the moment the prime mover. Its been unarmored but in the process is showing problems because the chassis is just not built for that.
JLTV is aimed to replace most of the Humvees. As the prime utility vehicle. But i need to clarify that it is not a pure MRAP. It can be armored to a MRAP and shares a pedigree with the M-ATV but the two are different vehicles. L-ATV is built to be a utility vehicle. Also along side the MRZR and L-ATV/Humvee for basic day to day on base the army and Marines maintain a number of other vehicles that tend not to get attention. On base gulf carts and pick up trucks are common sights and often perform day to day missions.
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TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Okay I think I see it now. The MRZR and JLTV are front line vehicles. Your normally not really going to drive that to the Base exchange to pick up a pack of Luckys and a few sodas.
Although you could... Generally those vehicles are meant for action.
When the US Army and Marines started transitioning from the M151 to the Humvee one of the things that happened was they realized that it was a bit of a waste to use a full on military vehicle in peacetime for a milkshake at the base McDonald's. The cost was just not acceptable.
So they created a second lesser known vehicle program. The CUCV
Now today its a bit expanded but here is the gist. If you have a official duty on base state side or abroad in peace time the Military maintains a number of Official vehicles. They range from electric Gulf carts to Full sized pick-up trucks to minivans and police cruisers. These perform the milk run jobs on base. They are not intended for combat operations and are only made to civil spec.
Some basses even have full school buses and MCI motor coaches to suit the needs of the post. These vehicles are brought like any other civilian commercial vehicles and are built to the same spec one might expect of a police department. They are maintained by the motor pool and are cheaper than letting you pick up your Pizza in a Bradley.
The full military vehicles are reserved for times like training or war time deployment.
Although you could... Generally those vehicles are meant for action.
When the US Army and Marines started transitioning from the M151 to the Humvee one of the things that happened was they realized that it was a bit of a waste to use a full on military vehicle in peacetime for a milkshake at the base McDonald's. The cost was just not acceptable.
So they created a second lesser known vehicle program. The CUCV
Now today its a bit expanded but here is the gist. If you have a official duty on base state side or abroad in peace time the Military maintains a number of Official vehicles. They range from electric Gulf carts to Full sized pick-up trucks to minivans and police cruisers. These perform the milk run jobs on base. They are not intended for combat operations and are only made to civil spec.
Some basses even have full school buses and MCI motor coaches to suit the needs of the post. These vehicles are brought like any other civilian commercial vehicles and are built to the same spec one might expect of a police department. They are maintained by the motor pool and are cheaper than letting you pick up your Pizza in a Bradley.
The full military vehicles are reserved for times like training or war time deployment.
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