U.S. Navy wants larger Fire Scout airframe

To meet an urgent special operations requirement for a sea-based medium-range surveillance platform, the US Navy plans to change the airframe of the Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned helicopter to extend endurance and payload. Funds are requested in fiscal 2012 to buy the first 12 MQ-8Cs, based on the Bell 407 commercial helicopter.