BAMS Increment 2 to Feature Satellite-Independent Capability

By Richard R. Burgess, Managing Editor

The Navy's spiral development of the RQ-4N Broad-Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) system will add a capability to operate in support of maritime forces independent of space-based systems.

The Navy is procuring the RQ-4N, a development of the Northrop Grumman-built Global Hawk long-range, high-endurance surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle. The RQ-4N will feature 360-degree coverage with radar, electronic surveillance measures, electro-optical and infrared imaging, and the Automatic Information System.

Capt. Bob Dishman, the Navy's program manager for BAMS, said Increment 2 of the program will add capability to "park a BAMS above the battle group" and use local control systems rather than satellites for flight and sensor control. Under the concept, a BAMS launched to an operating area using satellite control would be handed off to a ground control station resident on a ship in the battle group and controlled locally for tactical operations.

The upgrade will add a more robust communication relay capability to allow the RQ-4N to be a "server in the sky," Dishman said during a May 5 brief at the Sea-Air-Space Exposition at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Md.

As such, the RQ-4N would serve as a "satellite" for the units in the battle group.

Dishman said Increment 3 would add a signals intelligence capability to the RQ-4N.

In a related development, the Navy has redesignated the two-aircraft Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration program the BAMS Demonstration program. The program uses modified RQ-4A Global Hawks and has deployed one aircraft to the Arabian Gulf region.

The Navy plans to procure 68 RQ-4Ns.