EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN - A Fire Scout unmanned helicopter in a routine flight supported its first drug interdiction with the USS McInerney and a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment this past weekend. A test was being conducted on one of the ship's two Fire Scouts when the UAV acquired a suspected narcotics "go-fast" on radar. The mission payload operator received permission to pursue. Over three hours, Fire Scout monitored the go-fast with its state-of-the-art optics. Due to its small profile, Fire Scout maintained a covert posture while feeding real-time video back to McInerney. Fire Scout captured video of the "go-fast" meeting with a fishing vessel. McInerney and its Coast Guard detachment moved in and seized about 60 kilos of cocaine and caused the suspects to allegedly jettison another 200 kilos of narcotics. (Source: NNS, 04/07/10) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scouts are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.
NEWS: A digest of aerospace, defense and technology news from the Gulf Coast I-10 region
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Fire Scout scores its first drug bust
EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN - A Fire Scout unmanned helicopter in a routine flight supported its first drug interdiction with the USS McInerney and a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment this past weekend. A test was being conducted on one of the ship's two Fire Scouts when the UAV acquired a suspected narcotics "go-fast" on radar. The mission payload operator received permission to pursue. Over three hours, Fire Scout monitored the go-fast with its state-of-the-art optics. Due to its small profile, Fire Scout maintained a covert posture while feeding real-time video back to McInerney. Fire Scout captured video of the "go-fast" meeting with a fishing vessel. McInerney and its Coast Guard detachment moved in and seized about 60 kilos of cocaine and caused the suspects to allegedly jettison another 200 kilos of narcotics. (Source: NNS, 04/07/10) Gulf Coast note: Fire Scouts are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.
