US Navy's HMS-35 Reactivated with Drones & Helicopters

[Doug Robertson]

Yesterday the US Navy reactivated Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 35, the "Magicians" which had served for 19 years and was deactivated in 1992. The ceremony at Coronado, California's Naval Air Station North Island "points to the future of Naval Aviation" stated the commissioning officer, Vice Admiral David D. Buss. The new squadron will combine eight manned helicopters with ten Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout drones in HMS-35. Cdr. Christopher S. Hewlett, USN is the squadron's commanding officer.

The unmanned MQ-8B Fire Scout tracks targets and will eventually be armed, operating from the Navy's newest Littoral Combat Ships in the Pacific Ocean in about a year. These are high-speed vessels that can operate in shallow waters and other waters denied present USN ships. The Fire Scouts can operate autonomously from ships and fly over dangerous areas and allow service members aboard ship to see real time remote events. The Fire Scout can hover over an enemy target, maintaining contact and providing vital information to the mother ship and squadron.

Prior "bugs" going back to 2010 in the MQ-8B drone have been worked out, and the US Army and the US Air Force have also established combat drone squadrons.