13:56 GMT, September 2, 2010 Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. | The U.S. Navy celebrated start of the first MQ-4C Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System fuselage at Northrop Grumman’s Moss Point, Miss., manufacturing facility Sept. 1.

The fuselage load is a significant event in the fabrication process which is accomplished through the use of a 24-foot long structural fuselage jig, a critical component in the manufacturing process.

“The BAMS UAS first fuselage load is a key program milestone,” said Capt. Bob Dishman, BAMS UAS Program Manager, during the event. “Today marks the start of the forward fuselage construction and puts the program on a path to deliver, on schedule, an incredible persistent maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability to the fleet.”

Senior leaders from both the Navy and Northrop Grumman attended the event, including many of the employees that will work on the manufacturing line at the facility. Also present were many state and local officials, including Sen. Thad Cochran and Congressman Gene Taylor. The event concluded with a tour of the facility, which provided an opportunity for all to see the 24-foot long structural fuselage jig, loaded with various components of the first MQ-4C airframe.

"We are no longer a paper tiger as we begin construction on the jig load today," said Dishman. “As we continue with the airframe critical design review, we will be focusing on the production of this hardware. Our goal is to continue making early design decisions that will allow us to maintain schedule and deliver this capability to the warfighter as quickly as possible."

The forward fuselage jig facilitates the production process by loading individual parts during the build cycle. The fuselage is constructed in three primary sections, forward, mid and aft, which are spliced together at the Moss Point facility and then delivered to Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale, Calif. facility for final installation. The entire build process is estimated to take approximately 14 months.

“BAMS and Air Force’s Global Hawk will share a common production line to reduce costs and eliminate redundant efforts,” Dishman added.

The BAMS UAS is a multi-mission maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system, which will support a variety of missions while operating independently or in direct collaboration with fleet assets. The system will provide a continuous on-station presence while conducting open-ocean and littoral surveillance of targets. BAMS UAS is currently in system development and demonstration. Initial operational capability is planned for fiscal 2016, with delivery of four aircraft to the fleet.

The BAMS UAS program is managed by NAVAIR’s Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office (PMA-262).


----
Naval Air Systems Command
Program Executive Office
Unmanned Aviation & Strike Weapons