Northrop unveils BAMS

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PALMDALE, Calif., June 15 (UPI) -- Northrop Grumman has taken the wraps off the broad area maritime surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle it's developing for the U.S. Navy.

The MQ-4C UAV, called the Triton, has been four years in development and will be used by the Navy as part of its family of maritime patrol and reconnaissance assets.

The unveiling of the Triton took place Thursday at Northrop's manufacturing plant in Palmdale, Calif.

"It's a phenomenal event to see the fruits of our labor come to fruition after four years of hard work and dedication to this program," said U.S. Navy Capt. James Hoke, program manager for the Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office, which manages the Triton program.

"We are looking forward to continuing testing and evaluation, parts assembly and installation and radar risk-reduction tests."

The Triton, based on the Air Force's RQ-4B Global Hawk, has a wingspan of 130.9 feet. It features the AN/ZPY-3 multifunction active-sensor radar system and will be able to perform persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance with a range of 2,000 nautical miles.

Continued testing of the aircraft includes demonstration of functional requirements and a first system development flight test.