A highly modified GII used by Northrop Grumman to flight test systems hardware for their BAMS bid, seen here taxiing at Mojave

Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) is a UAV system, which will provide continuous maritime surveillance for the US Navy and complement the 737 based Multimission Maritime Aircraft (MMA), the P-8A Poseidon^[1].

The system is expected to enter service around the end of the decade. Around 40 UAVs will be based at five sites - Hawaii; Diego Garcia; NAS Jacksonville, Florida; NAS Kadena, Japan; and Sigonella, Italy. The competitors for the contract included:^[2]

• Boeing, with an unmanned version of the Gulfstream 550 business jet. By using a commercially-available aircraft, "Boeing is seeking to raise awareness of its entry — an optionally manned Gulfstream 550 business jet^[3] — by stressing its commonality with other Boeing-built naval aircraft."^[4]

• Northrop Grumman, with a marinized RQ-4 Global Hawk. In order to begin testing the surveillance package early, Northrop Grumman contracted with Flight Test Associates of the Mojave Spaceport to modify a Grumman Gulfstream II as a flying testbed.

• Lockheed Martin, with a General Atomics Mariner

The awarding of the contract was expected in the fall of 2007, but in October, 2007, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) pushed back the contract award date until early 2008.^[5]

On 22 April 2008 Northrop Grumman received the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance contract worth $1.16 billion.^[6] Lockheed Martin filed a formal protest with the GAO two weeks later.^[7] On August 11, 2008 the GAO ruled to uphold the Navy’s selection of Northrop Grumman.^[8]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Northrop Grumman BAMS contender web site
• Boeing / Gulfstream BAMS contender presentation
• Lockheed Martin BAMS product web site
• Flight Test Associates web site

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