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First US Navy MQ-4C BAMS aircraft unveiled

15th June 2012 - 13:56 GMT | by Shephard News Team

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Northrop Grumman has unveiled the first US Navy MQ-4C Triton Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System (BAMS UAS) in a ceremony at the company’s Palmdale manufacturing facility on 14 July, 2012.

The BAMS UAS is a versatile maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system to support a variety of missions while operating independently or in direct collaboration with fleet assets. According to Northrop Grumman, when operational, BAMS will play a key role in providing commanders with a persistent, reliable picture of surface threats, covering vast areas of open ocean and littoral regions as the unmanned segment of the navy's Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Force.

The aircraft is designated the MQ-4C, and has been named Triton by the navy. Currently, BAMS-D (demonstrator), a Block 10 RQ-4 equipped with maritime sensors, is being used by the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. BAMS-D provides a glimpse of the full persistent capabilities that the Triton's 360-degree Multi-Function Active Sensor (MFAS) radar will bring to the fleet. The MFAS radar is produced by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems.

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