The US Navy has received the 24ft-long structural fuselage jig for the first MQ-4C broad area maritime surveillance unmanned aircraft system (BAMS UAS) being built by Northrop.

The BAMS UAS is a multimission maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system, designed to support various missions when operating independently or in collaboration with fleet assets.

The system provides a continuous on-station presence even when conducting open-ocean and littoral surveillance of targets.

The aircraft system is under development and demonstration stages and will be operational in 2016 with delivery of four aircraft to the fleet.

The BAMS UAS program is managed by the US Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR) Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office.