Remote-control craft expand U.S. military capability

The U.S. Navy is operating remote-control surveillance helicopters on missions over the Middle East, including Afghanistan, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

The multipurpose Fire Scouts that spy on targets and mark them for attack are expanding the U.S. offensive capabilities without risking American casualties.

“Whether pinpointing enemies, hunting pirates or tracking drug smugglers, the multipurpose craft are at the vanguard of the robotic revolution transforming warfare,” ther report said.

Built by Northrop Grumman Corp, the aircraft are already being used on surveillance missions for special-operations forces in the Middle East, Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, was quoted as saying by the U.S. daily.

Two Fire Scouts were operating from the guided-missile frigate USS Halyburton, whih patrols near the Horn of Africa as part of an international task force fighting Somali pirates.

Pilotless helicopters can stay airborne longer than manned versions and can take off and land from a ship's deck.

Robotic helicopters may enable the military to take the antipiracy fight inland as well, going after the organizers of pirate raids as well as terror suspects, the report said.

The Fire Scout is built around the modified frame of a Schweizer Aircraft model 333, a small one- or two-seat helicopter.

According to the report, the robotic aircraft are run from a control station and typically operate in pairs, with one hovering over an area of interest for five or six hours before swapping out with a second one. A team of Fire Scouts can provide 12 continuous hours of coverage over a target, operating more than 125 miles from the launch site.