A Navy unmanned aerial vehicle demonstrator based on the Air Force’s Global Hawk crashed yesterday during a test in Maryland, just days ahead of manufacturer Northrop Grumman’s [NOC] plans to roll out the first aircraft under the Navy’s Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program.
The BAMS-Demonstrator, or BAMS-D, crashed shortly after noon in an unpopulated and swampy area near Bloodsworth Island in Dorchester County, Md., the Navy said. The crash site was identified by a pilot in an F/A-18 aircraft, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said. No one was hurt and there was no property damage but the cause of the crash is under investigation, NAVAIR said.
The demonstrator is one of five acquired by the Navy from the Air Force’s Global Hawk program. They have been used by the Navy since 2006 to develop tactics and doctrine for using the high-flying aircraft for intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (ISR) missions.
The Navy’s program of record calls for buying 68 BAMS aircraft. Northrop Grumman plans to unveil the first MQ-4C at its Palmdale, Calif., manufacturing facility on Thursday. The Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a $1.16-billion contract for the first two planes in 2008.
The unarmed aircraft have a wingspan of 130.9 feet, can fly for up to 30 hours and reach an altitude of 60,000 feet. It can fly nearly 10,000 nautical miles without being refueled and is operated by four crew members, including a pilot.
The Navy said the BAMS-D program has flown more than 5,500 combat hours since 2008 and provides more than 50 per cent of maritime ISR.
The main feature of the new BAMS is a Northrop Grumman-built AN/ZPY-3 active electronically steered array (AESA) radar containing maritime and air-to-ground modes.