Incident reported, what happened in the area of responsibility of the 3rd Fleet of the US Navy. The summaries say, that the unmanned helicopter MQ-8B, taking off from the deck of the coastal zone ship USS Charleston (LCS-18), crashed into his side.
American information sources cite data that, that the unmanned helicopter MQ-8B Fire Scout then fell into the sea. According to recent reports, the possibility of carrying out work on its extraction from water is being studied.
Preliminary information suggests, that a helicopter-type drone cannot be restored, as, At first, he received serious mechanical damage when hitting a ship, Secondly, sea water disrupted the operation of the power supply system of the main units and nodes, third, it is at a considerable depth, due to which he could receive additional damage under the pressure of the water column.
It is reported that, that no one was hurt as a result of the incident. In this case, a special commission evaluates the damage, which were received by the ship USS Charleston.
The press service of the US Navy's Third Fleet reports, that LCS-18 is currently continuing operations in the Western Pacific.
A helicopter-type UAV has the following dimensions: length about 10 m, height - more 3 m. It is designed for reconnaissance and "situational awareness" at sea. He is also able to direct weapons to the target and provide certain fire support..
For reference:
USS Charleston entered service after construction last March. He is assigned to the 1st US Navy Coastal Fighting Squadron.. Over time, it is planned to transfer it to the mine protection division..