unveiling the US Navy's first contemporary combat drone carrier

On S??t. 6, 2014, th? U.S. N?v? ??c?mmissi?n?? th? ??i??t? USS H?l????t?n ?t th? v?ss?l’s h?m????t in Fl??i??.

Th? 453-???t-l?n? Oliv?? H?z??? P????-cl?ss v?ss?l—n?m?? ??? ? m??ic wh? ?i?? in th? 1945 ??ttl? ??? Okin?w?—s??nt j?st ?v?? 30 ????s in c?mmissi?n. H?l????t?n w?s m?n? thin?s in h?? ??c???s ?? s??vic?. A s??-h?nt??, ? c??nt??-???? ??t??ll??, ? ??m??s ?i??t?-?i?ht??.

An?, in h?? ?in?l ????s, th? N?v?’s v??? ?i?st m????n c?m??t ???n? c???i??.

In J?n? 2011, H?l????t?n j?in?? ?n int??n?ti?n?l ???c? l??nchin? st?ik?s ?n ???im? t????s in Li???’s ??in?in? civil w??. Th? ??i??t? c???i?? tw? MQ-8B Fi?? Sc??t ???n? h?lic??t??s—?n? s?nt th? ’??ts ?v?? th? Li???n c??st t? s??t t????ts.

On J?n? 21, ???im? t????s ??????ntl? sh?t ??wn ?n? ?? th? Fi?? Sc??ts. Th? N?v? ??sh?? ? ???l?c?m?nt ???n? t? th? ??i??t?. In ?ll, H?l????t?n’s Fi?? Sc??ts ?l?w n???l? 150 missi?ns ?n th?t 2011 ???l??m?nt, s??ttin? t????ts with th?i? n?s?-m??nt?? vi??? c?m???s ?n? st???min? th? ???t??? ??ck t? th? shi? ??? ?n?l?sis ?n? ?iss?min?ti?n.

Th??? w??? l?ts ?? t?chnic?l ????l?ms. Th? ???n?s’ ?nt?nn?s ?i?n’t w??k ??????l? ?t ?i?st—?n? th?t sc??w?? ?? th? vi??? t??nsmissi?n. Th? N?v? h?? t? ?it n?w ?nt?nn?s t? tw? ???sh Fi?? Sc??ts ?n? sw?? th?m ??t with th? tw? ?nm??i?i?? ???n?s ?n H?l????t?n.

Th? J?n? 2011 sh??t-??wn ??st????? ?n? ?? th? m??i?i?? ’??ts.

B?t th? ??in??l ???c?ss ?? ?in?in? Fi?? Sc??t’s ???lts ?n? sc??m?lin? t? ?ix th?m—?ll whil? th? m?chin?s w??? in th? lin? ?? ?i?? in ? w?? z?n?—w?s th? wh?l? ??int. H?l????t?n-th?-???n?-c???i?? w?s ? ???nt-lin? ?x???im?nt.

“Fi?st, whil? I c?n’t s?? I lik? l?sin? ?n? ?i?c???t, I ?m v??? ?l??s?? t? s?? th?t ?i?l? t?stin? th? Fi?? Sc??t incl???? ??ttin? th? s?st?m in ? ??siti?n wh??? it c??l? ?? sh?t ??wn,” n?v?l c?mm?nt?t?? R??m?n? P?itch?tt w??t?. “Y?s it s?cks t? l?s? ? ???n?, ??t it is ???t ?? th? ?v?l??ti?n ???c?ss in ??t??minin? th? v?ln????ilit?, ??li??ilit? ?n? c?nt?i??ti?n ?? th?s? t??? ?? s?st?ms in c?m??t z?n?s.”

H?l????t?n h?s l??t U.S. s??vic? ?n?, in 2015, t??ns?????? t? th? T??kish n?v?. B?t h?? l???c? liv?s ?n in th? Unit?? St?t?s. T???? th? N?v? is ??t?ittin? n?w Litt???l C?m??t Shi?s ?n?, ?v?nt??ll?, ? ?l?nn?? n?w cl?ss ?? ??i??t? t? c???? ?n H?l????t?n’s ????t ??l? with MQ-8Bs ?n? im???v?? MQ-8C Fi?? Sc??ts.

M??nwhil? n?w MQ-25 t?nk?? ???n?s ??? in ??v?l??m?nt ??? th? ?l??t’s s????c???i??s. Th? M??in? C???s ?ls? is ??v?l??in? ?t l??st ?n? l???? ???n? t??? t? ?l? ???m N?v? ?ss??lt shi?s.

H?l????t?n w?s ?n? ?? 51 P????-cl?ss ??i??t?s th? N?v? ???ch?s?? in th? l?t? 1970s ?n? ???l? ’80s. Th? P????s w??? s??-h?nt??s with s??histic?t?? s?n??s ?n? ???m ??? ? c???l? ?? SH-60 ?nti-s??m??in? h?lic??t??s. Th? ??i??t?s ??ss?ss?? j?st ?n???h ?i????w?? t? ????n? th?ms?lv?s—? 76-millim?t?? c?nn?n, ? Ph?l?nx ??t?-??n ?n? ? l??nch?? ??? 40 SM-1 ?nti-?i? missil?s.

In th? w?nin? ????s ?? th? C?l? W??, th? P????s ??t??ll?? ??? S?vi?t s??s. D??in? w??tіm?, th?? w??l? h?v? ?sc??t?? c?nv??s h??lin? t????s ???m th? U.S. t? E?????.

Wh?n th? C?l? W?? ?n???, th? N?v? t??k ?w?? th? ??tm???? SM-1 missil?s ?n? ?ssi?n?? th? ??i??t?s t? ? wi??? s?t ?? l?ss ??n?????s missi?ns—st?lkin? ???? t????ick??s, sh?wіп? th? ?l?? ?n t??inin? ?n? ?i?l?m?tic missi?ns ?n?, st??tin? in th? ?i?st ??c??? ?? th? 2000s, h?ntin? ?i??t?s ??? th? S?m?li c??st.

H?l????t?n w?s in th? In?i?n Oc??n in 2008 wh?n s?? ??n?its ??????? th? c?nt?in?? shi? M???sk Al???m? ?n? ki?n????? c??t?in Rich??? Philli?s. H?l????t?n w?s ?n? ?? th? w??shi?s th?t s?????n??? th? ?i??t?s in th?i? sm?ll ???t ?n?, ??t?? ? ??w c?????l sh?ts ?? ѕeаɩ sni???s, ?ltim?t?l? ??sc??? Philli?s.

Th? N?v? h?? ?????t?? ???im?nt??? QH-50 ??m?t?-c?nt??ll?? h?lic??t??s ???m shi?s in th? 1960s. In th? l?t? 1990s, N??th??? G??mm?n ??v?l???? th? 24-???t-l?n? Fi?? Sc??t t? m??t ? N?v? ????i??m?nt ??? ? m?ch m??? c????l? shi????n? ???n? c??t??. Th? MQ-8B ???l???? ?n ? shi? ??? th? ?i?st tіm? in 2008 ?????? th? ??i??t? USS McIn??n??.

Wh?? B?c??s? th? ??i??t? h?? ? ?i? ?li?ht ??ck … ?n? w?sn’t ??in? ?n?thin? ?ls? vit?ll? im???t?nt.

In 2010 McIn??n?? t??k Fi?? Sc??ts t? th? ??st??n P?ci?ic ??? ???? int???icti?n. S?????t?l?, ? ??w ?? th? ????t c??t??s ?ls? ?l?w s??v?ill?nc? missi?ns ???m l?n? ??s?s in A??h?nist?n.

B?t H?l????t?n w?s th? ?i?st t? s?n? Fi?? Sc??ts t? w??. It t??k w??ks ?? w??k in l?t? 2010 t? ???? th? ??i??t? ??? th? ???n?s.

“Int????ti?n v??i?ic?ti?n incl???? ??ncti?n?l ch?cks ?n th? shi?, v??i?ic?ti?n th?t Fi?? Sc??t ???l???s w??k?? ??????l? ?n? c?m?l?ti?n ?? ? l?n?-????ti?n ?li?ht ?t ?ist?nc? ???m th? shi?,” SUAS N?ws ?????t??. “A t??m ?? N??th??? G??mm?n ?n?in???s ?n? ?????t??s ?n????? th? shi? h?l??? ??-??mili??iz? N?v? ?????t??s with Fi?? Sc??t’s c?nt??l s?st?ms.”

In th? w?nin? ????s ?? th? C?l? W??, th? P????s ??t??ll?? ??? S?vi?t s??s. D??in? w??tіm?, th?? w??l? h?v? ?sc??t?? c?nv??s h??lin? t????s ???m th? U.S. t? E?????.

Th? ???? ??????ntl? ?i?n’t c?tch th? ?nt?nn? ????l?m th?t w??l? ????i?? ????nt ?ix?s th? ??ll?wіп? ????. An? th??? w??? ?th?? ????l?ms with th? ???n?.

On? Fi?? Sc??t ?????t?? ?n H?l????t?n ?cci??nt?ll? l?t th? wi?? ???m his h???s?t ?????ss th? s??c? ??? ?n his k???????—“? k??st??k? th?t h?? th? s?m? ????ct ?s hittin? th? ‘?nt??’ k??,” ?cc???in? t? N?v? tіm?s. “In this c?s?, it ?ctiv?t?? th? s?l?-??st??ct c??nt??wn c??nt??, th? ?i?st ?? s?v???l st??s n????? t? ??st??? th? ?i?c???t.” F??t?n?t?l?, th? ?????t?? c???ht th? mist?k? ?????? his Fi?? Sc??t ?x?l????.

Glitch?s ?n? ?ll, H?l????t?n’s ????hl? 200 s?il??s m??? Fi?? Sc??t w??k. On? s?ni?? chi??—n?t ?n ?vi?t??—?v?n ??t his ??iv?t? ?il?t’s lic?ns?, t??k ? ?iv?-w??k MQ-8 c???s? ?n? j?in?? H?l????t?n’s ??t?? ?il?ts st???in? th? ????t c??t??s vi? s?t?llit?.

With th? ?nt?nn? ?ix, th? ??i??t?’s ???n?s ??ickl? ?chi?v?? ? 97-???c?nt ????in?ss ??t?. Th??? ????s ?????? l??vin? s??vic?, H?l????t?n ???v?? Fi?? Sc??t c??l? w??k. An? t???? th? N?v? ?n? M??in? C???s ?l?n t? ???ch?s? h?n????s ?? ???n?s ?? ?i?????nt t???s t? ?l? ???m s????c? c?m??t?nts, ?m?hi?i??s ?ss??lt shi?s ?n? ?i?c???t c???i??s.