Broad Area Maritime Surveillance

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 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: [ [http://defence-data.com/current/page38204.htm Defence Systems – Daily October 1, 2007] ]

* 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 [ [http://atsmedia.cachefly.net/uploads/ats45591_BAM.jpgBoeing / Gulfstream 550 BAMS] ] — by stressing its commonality with other Boeing-built naval aircraft." [ [http://www.isrjournal.com/story.php?F=3033832 “Boeing envisions ‘maritime ISR triad’ (C4ISR Journal, September 12, 2007)] ]

* 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. [ [http://www.janes.com/news/defence/jni/jni071025_1_n.shtml (Jane's Defense News)] ]

On 22 April 2008 the announcement was made that the Northrop Grumman offering won the bid, with the Navy awarding a contract worth $1.16 billion. [ [http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=11856 Navy Awards Northrop Grumman Unmanned Aircraft System Contract] ] Lockheed Martin filed a formal protest with the GAO two weeks later. [ [http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/05/05/223482/lockheed-protests-usn-bams-award.html Lockheed protests USN BAMS award] ]

On August 11, 2008 the GAO ruled to uphold the Navy’s selection of Northrop Grumman for the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System. [ [http://pao.navair.navy.mil/press_releases/index.cfm?fuseaction=press_release_view&Press_release_id=3965&site_id=13 NAV Air News Release - BAMS UAS program resumes] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.northropgrumman.com/unmanned/bams/overview.html Northrop Grumman BAMS contender web site]
* [http://www.boeing.com/news/feature/paris07/assets/paris_bams_p-8a_brief.pdf Boeing / Gulfstream BAMS contender presentation]
* [http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/BroadAreaMaritimeSurveillanceBAMS/index.html Lockheed Martin BAMS product web site]
* [http://www.flttest.com/ Flight Test Associates web site]