Moss Point, MS, USA
production facility, final assembly
The Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle is being built for the Navy and
the Army at Northrop Grumman's new Unmanned Systems Center in
Moss Point. Although it is seen primarily as a surveillance and
reconnaissance drone, the military is moving more towards providing
air-strike capability to a range of drones. So it was only natural the Fire
Scout would also be considered for an attack capability. One Northrop
official described such an armed helicopter drone as a "Fire Scout with
an attitude." The Navy will be using the Fire Scout aboard the new
generation of surface warfare vessels being developing, including the
littoral combat ships. The new generation of surface combat ships are
being built in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Maine, and includes
destroyers, cruisers and more. The number of Fire Scouts that will be
purchased is expected to rise over time as the military relies more and
more on UAVs.