Budget boost for UAV surveillance

Extra $1.3bn for US Navy's maritime air vehicle system

The US Navy plans to spend up to $2.32 billion on its proposed endurance unmanned air vehicle-based broad-area maritime surveillance (BAMS) system under revised budget forecasts released to bidders earlier this month.

The planned $1.3 billion increase in funding comes ahead of the expected release of a request for proposals (RFP) this month, and selection of the winner in September.

The navy is also interested in bringing forward initial operational capability of the system from 2014 to 2013 or earlier.

This month's RFP will also include options to meet Australia's requirements, including a different maritime mode radar to that sought by the US Navy, say programme officials.

Other Australian requirements include adaptation of the air vehicle sensor suite to support reporting of real-time separation distances from other air traffic and from adverse weather.

Australia formally signed up to the BAMS system design and definition phase on 13 January (Flight International, 30 January-5 February).

The draft programme budget for BAMS proposes outlays of $117 million during fiscal year 2008, rising to $480 million in FY2009, peaking at $561 million in FY2010. According to US Navy officials, the project is looking to reduce the number of air vehicles required to meet effective time on station requirements.

BAMS is predicated on the establishment of five orbits deployed around the globe, with each providing a target of 43,800 flight hours a year with no more than three UAVs airborne in each orbit at any given time.

The navy wants proposals for achieving those flight-hour targets using just two UAVs airborne in each orbit.

Programme officials also confirm they want operators to be able to control BAMS aircraft from the navy's planned EP-X signals intelligence gathering aircraft, in addition to streaming data from the UAV to the service's new Boeing P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft.

Source: Flight International