Fire Scout avionics gets shield

A protective cage to store and protect electronic components of the next-generation MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter has been received by Northrop Grumman. Known as a Faraday cage and produced by Summit Aviation, a Greenwich AeroGroup company, it shields aircraft electronic systems from possible electromagnetic interference. A total of 28 new MQ-8Cs will be built using a Bell 407 airframe. It's a larger, more capable version of the Fire Scout MQ-8B that is now serving aboard Navy ships and in Afghanistan. Prior to installation on the MQ-8C airframe, integration and testing of the Faraday cages will be done at the Northrop Grumman's Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss. (Sources: Northrop Grumman, 01/31/13; Military & Aerospace Electronics, 02/01/13; naval-technology.com link, 02/04/13)