Northrop Grumman carries on with BAMS-D support
RQ-4A Global Hawk BAMS-D aircraft. (Photo: NAVAIR)
Northrop Grumman obtains new Broad Area Maritime Surveillance – Demonstrator contract modification despite USN plans to retire the unmanned aircraft.
Northrop Grumman is to continue operator, maintenance, logistics and sustainment engineering support for RQ-4A Global Hawk Broad Area Maritime Surveillance - Demonstrator (BAMS-D) aircraft operated by the USN.
This is despite a DoD proposal to withdraw BAMS-D in 2022.
Under a $53.77 million contract modification from Naval Air Systems Command, Northrop Grumman will provide training, supply chain and spares management until April 2022 for the BAMS-D to undertake ISR missions for the USN.
The USN FY2022 budget request, unveiled in late May, confirmed the RQ-4A BAMS-D aircraft would be withdrawn sooner than originally planned.
'The divestment strategy from the FY2021 budget originally scheduled BAMS-D to divest in FY2023. The current budget request accelerates this divestment by a year,' the DoD explained in a budget justification document.
The USN intends to remove resources from non-programme of record efforts and accelerate cost savings by moving divestment from FY2023 to FY2022.
'This decision allows for investment in higher priority capability and capacity. Replacement capabilities include P-8A Poseidon, MQ-4, and EP-3E operations extended by one year,' the DoD added.
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