March 5, 2022
The Navy's Fire Scout Drone Is Fielding a New Minehunting Pod
The Single System Multi-Mission Airborne Mine Detection pod will be the first minehunting pod used on the Fire Scout and the heaviest payload it has carried.
by Kris Osborn
New sensing technologies and computer processing is expected to generate breakthroughs for the U.S. Navy’s Fire Scout drone in its minehunting mission. Improved sensors and computers will allow improve organizing speed and ensure accurate identification of targets.
The navy is prototyping and preparing new tests of a pod mounted underneath the Fire Scout. The pod is tended to analyze information from infrared sensors and relay information in real-time to human decision-makers.
The Single System Multi-Mission Airborne Mine Detection (SMAMD) program uses an “airborne sensor suite that will have the ability to have real-time onboard processing coupled with low false alarm rates will enable the warfighter to respond swiftly to detected threats,” Naval Air Systems Command said in a press release.
Faster processing at the point of collection is a critical improvement for minehunting missions and assets conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Older assets might need to complete their mission and return home before data can be uploaded and analyzed. The ability to do so immediately is a significant step forward.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/navys-fire-scout-drone-fielding-new-minehunting-pod-200993
