under way at VX-30. By the end of last year,
the MQ-8C had accumulated more than
500 ight hours and own in excess of 350
sorties. The vital role of the UST team at
VX-30 was echoed by Cdr Hanaki: “The UAS
work is a big part of what we are doing here
every single day and I am pleased to say
that the squadron has really embraced that
mission. Actually, it is our largest department
right now and the largest unmanned test
support unit in the United States. What we
are doing with UAS is beyond just testing and
evaluation. We are looking and evaluating at
all the different options, such as how to use
those systems for our range support mission
and to determine if we can use these aircraft
in lieu of the manned aircraft to build a picture
of our sea test range. This application ifvalidated could apply not just to the sea range
but a lot of other range support applications
around the world, so the potential is endless.
The decision by the Navy to consolidate
the MQ-8 programme at Mugu was a very
signi cant decision, probably somewhat
driven by the early work VX-30 has been
doing in unmanned systems and we feel
was a huge decision by NAVAIR [Naval
Air Systems Command] to place the entire
programme here.” He continued: “We all know
unmanned systems is a river that’s coming,
rapidly, and at VX-30 we want to be able to
shape the ow of that river and I feel it’s now
going in the right direction that we think it
should go. VX-30 is right in the middle of it,
and we’re pushing a lot of changes, not just in
NAVAIR but [for the] Navy in terms of shapingthe future employment of some systems for
operators worldwide. I foresee the MQ-8
programme and unmanned systems as a
whole being a big part of the future of the
mission at VX-30 and at Point Mugu.”
The Bloodhounds have had a role in
shaping the future of naval aviation for many
decades. It is perhaps best known for the
sea range support the squadron provides
with its aircraft but its mission goes way
beyond that. Cdr Hanaki summed up its
important contribution when he said the
squadron was “continuing to provide safe and
efficient ground and ight test, airborne ight
test support and experimentation operations
involving aircraft, weapons and weapons
systems across the United States Navy and
Department of Defense programmes”.http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 27A P-3C sits on the ramp in front of Laguna Peak. This is
one of two Orions that have replaced the Vikings at VX-30.One of the S-3Bs at Point
Mugu in the hangar alongside
Bloodhound 404, a KC-130T.20-27_vx30DC.mf.indd 27 06/04/2016 17:01