The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a contract for its MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV) program. The award is valued at $5 million the first year, with options for three additional years that will total $19 million, and is the first step to a long term MQ-8B Fire Scout maintenance program. The contract establishes the Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems sector’s Moss Point, Miss., Unmanned Systems facility as a service center for MQ-8B Fire Scout’s maintenance and periodic upgrades. The contract also includes operational and maintenance training. Northrop Grumman said the MQ-8B Fire Scout program will soon undergo Operational Evaluation and eventually achieve operational status later this year.