Navy selects contractor for maritime drone support

By William Welsh

Science Applications International Corp. will furnish technical and engineering support to the Navy office that manages unmanned aircraft systems that conduct maritime surveillance under a task order potentially worth $39 million over five years.

Specifically, the company will provide systems engineering, analysis and development for the Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office in support of the development, production, fielding and sustainment of maritime UAS. The contractor also will assist with the integration, testing and introduction of these systems, the company said in a Nov. 8 announcement.

The program office’s mission includes the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance UAS, related demonstrator programs and other high-altitude, long-endurance UAS. BAMS UAS is a multi-mission system designed to support strike, signals intelligence, and communications relay efforts.

The company will perform the work at Patuxent River, Md. The Naval Air Systems Command awarded the task order through the Navy’s Seaport-e program.