The House Appropriations Committee has axed all 12 Fire Scouts the Navy had asked for in its version of the fiscal year 2012 defense appropriations bill, rebuffing the Navy's stated intention to nearly double its planned buy from 31 to 57 aircraft to meet additional demands, according to a document reviewed by InsideDefense.com . The Navy had asked for nearly $200 million to fund 12 more MQ-8B Fire Scouts and develop a long-range maritime unmanned aerial vehicle. The Navy argued...
