A Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator (BAMS-D) unmanned aircraft being tested by the U.S. Navy crashed June 11 at approximately 12:11 EST near Bloodsworth Island in Dorchester County, Md. approximately 22 miles east of NAS Patuxent River, Md.
No one was injured and no property was damaged at the unpopulated swampy crash site. Navy officials said. A Navy F/A-18 aircraft made visual confirmation of the crash.
Navy and regional authorities quickly responded to the crash scene, where cleanup of the site is underway. Navy officials are investigating the cause of the crash.
One of five aircraft acquired from the Air Force Global Hawk program, BAMS-D program has been developing tactics and doctrine for the employment of high-altitude unmanned patrol aircraft since November 2006.
BAMS-D supports more than 50 percent of maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) in theater and has flown more than 5,500 combat hours in support of combat operations since 2008. BAMS-D continues to collect lessons learned for the MQ-4C BAMS Unmanned Aircraft System and the Navy ISR family of systems in an operational arena.
