SAN DIEGO, 16 June 2008. Cubic Defense Applications, the defense systems subsidiary of Cubic Corp., has delivered initial production units of a high-speed data link system to Northrop Grumman for the MQ-8B Fire Scout. Cubic provided three ground data terminals and nine air data terminals to Northrop Grumman's facility in San Diego, Calif., where engineers and technicians will perform final integration activities for the first payload flight planned shortly.

"This will be the first-time flight test for the MQ-8B Fire Scout Tactical Common Data Link," says Rich Smith, senior director of ISR Tactical Data Links for Cubic Defense Applications. "The TCDL is performing well under rigorous integration testing, and we are on schedule to ship additional Navy units later this year."

The MQ-8B Fire Scout, a Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical UAV, is a multimission platform derived from the Schweizer Model 333 manned helicopter. It features reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting, and attack capability and is designed to be deployed aboard any aviation-capable ship.

Each Fire Scout data link system has two basic components -- air data terminals and ground data terminals. These terminals assist in the Fire Scout's ISR and targeting missions.