The US Army has unveiled plans to integrate Northrop Grumman's 20kg (44lb) Viper Strike precision munition on the RQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned rotorcraft to stage a "proof of principle" demonstration later this year.
The service plans to integrate a GPS receiver on the Viper Strike, which is currently equipped with a laser seeker. The test firings will "demonstrate functionality of the improved guidance package", the army says.
Viper Strike is based on the Brilliant Anti-Tank submunition, but features a smaller warhead and a precise targeting capability designed to reduce the risk of collateral damage during urban operations.
Following two demonstration events using Hunter unmanned air vehicles, about 25 Viper Strikes were set to deploy to army units in Iraq late last year. However, US Central Command officials withdrew the requirement before the weapons were delivered.
The company, meanwhile, is developing a new Fire Scout variant with a four-bladed rotor system for the army's Future Combat Systems programme under an eight-year, $115 million contract announced last month. The US Navy is considering a proposal to convert its orders for the three-bladed RQ-8A Fire Scout to the army configuration.
Northrop Grumman also hopes to integrate the Viper Strike weapon on the US Air Force's General Atomics' MQ-1 Predator UAV.
Source: Flight International
