MQ-8 UAV
Abstract
The MQ-8 Unmanned Air System is a Joint Military Intelligence Program. There is no funding requested in FY 2025 based on a Navy decision to divest of current inventory of MQ-8C Air Vehicles (AVs) and associated equipment. The Navy will divest the MQ-8C Fire Scout Uncrewed Aircraft System at the conclusion of FY 2024. Through coordination with Commander Naval Air Forces, Commander Naval Surface Forces, Naval Air Systems Command and Naval Sea Systems Command, operational employment of the MQ-8C will end in Q4 FY2024 and sundown will be completed by Q4 FY2026. The MQ-8 Unmanned Air System (Fire Scout) program achieved MS C in June 2017. MQ-8C Unmanned Air System declared Initial Operational Capability in June 2019 for the Endurance Baseline and in June 2022 for the Surface Warfare (SUW) Increment. The program includes MQ-8B air vehicles (AV), MQ-8C air vehicles (AV), and associated Mission Control Systems (MCS), Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Common Automatic Recovery Systems (UCARS) and support equipment. The MQ-8B variant of Fire Scout completed Sundown on 30 Sep 2022. Currently, the MQ-8C is the only remaining airframe for the program of record that maintain a limited segment of air vehicles to support the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) SUW missions and future Mine Counter Measures (MCM) missions. The MQ-8C Fire Scout is a vertical take-off and landing, expeditionary, unmanned aircraft system (UAS) capable of day/night ship and shore-based operations. Fire Scout provides an airborne, unmanned, sea-based, persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting (ISR-T) asset to the host LCS platform or suitably equipped air capable ships (SEACS) without the reliance on limited joint theater or national assets. The MQ-8C Fire Scout system of systems includes the MCS, UCARS (required for shipboard only), and Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL) for MQ-8C command & control and payload data transmission. The MQ-8 launches and recovers vertically and can operate from suitably equipped air capable ships (SEACS), as well as confined area land bases. Interoperability is achieved via the Tactical Control System (TCS) software in the MCS, also referred to as a Ground Control Station (GCS), and the TCDL. The data from the MQ-8 is provided through standard DoD Command, Control, Communications, Computers and ISR-T (C4ISR-T) system architectures and protocols. A deployed MQ-8 system includes AVs, payloads (i.e. electro-optical/infrared/laser designator-range finder, Automated Identification System, voice communications relay, Radar, and other specialty payloads), Mission Control Systems (with TCS and TCDL integrated for interoperability), a UCARS for automatic launch and recovery, and associated spares and support equipment. The schedules for MCS and UCARS components are based on host ship requirements, while schedules for AV components, support equipment, and training equipment are based on operational deployment plans. A limited number of land-based mission control systems support shore-based operations including training, pre-deployment or acceptance functional check flights, and depot-level maintenance/post-maintenance activities. MQ-8 systems support missions on LCS, Expeditionary Mobile Base (T-ESB), FFG(X), and/or SEACS. Quantities of air vehicles are derived from LCS deployment requirements for SUW and MCM mission sets.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2025
- Source ID
- 0305231N_7_1319_PB_2025
- Change Summary Explanation
- Funding and schedule change from PB24 to PB25: FY 2025 funding reduced by $23.264M and schedule truncated due to Navy decision to divest of current inventory of MQ-8C Air Vehicles (AVs) and associated equipment at the conclusion of FY 2024. Through coordination with Commander Naval Air Forces, Commander Naval Surface Forces, Naval Air Systems Command and Naval Sea Systems Command, operational employment of the MQ-8C will end in Q4 FY2024 and sundown will be completed by Q4 FY2026.
- Service Agency Name
- Navy
Entities
Organizations
- United States Navy
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