US Navy Successfully Tests First Helicopter Drone

Helicopter Drones Are Next

The US Navy has successfully tested its first helicopter drone in a series of successful sea trials that saw the MQ-8C Fire Scout helicopter repeatedly land on a moving destroyer.

Rather than using them as weapons, the Navy hopes to turn the MQ-8C into a reconnaissance and utility drone that can carry heavy payloads or perform rescue missions without endangering any members of the crew.

This is the first time the US has tested an unmanned helicopter in the Atlantic and is the first time that they've been able to land one on a fast-moving small vessel like a destroyer.