U.S. Army takes over retired U.S. Navy drone helicopters

The U.S. Army has begun flight testing four MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopters transferred from the U.S. Navy's retired inventory for use as airborne sensor testbeds. The Redstone Test Center received the aircraft alongside two mobile control systems, spare engines and support equipment, then completed ground checks before flights at Dugway Proving Ground and Redstone Arsenal in 2026. The transfer reportedly avoided more than $70 million in new aircraft procurement costs and took about 14 months from the initial request to testing. The helicopters are being repurposed for experimental sensor carriage, not returned to Navy operational service.