Indian Navy offered Maritime version of Global Hawk

[plugwater]

Northrop Grumman has received and responded to Request for Information (RFI) issued recently by Indian Ministry of defence. Northrop Grumman has received necessary permission from United States government and has offered MQ-4C, which is a modified version of combat proven Global Hawk, improvised for the Maritime surveillance.
MQ-4C also known as Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) UAV based on Global Hawk and will complement the 737 based Multimission Maritime Aircraft (MMA), the P-8A Poseidon.
Indian Navy has already ordered 12 of P-8I which is an export variant of the P-8A Poseidon which US Navy will be operating ,which they will be replacing their older turbo prop based P-3 Maritime surveillance aircraft .
MQ-4C Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) UAV will have 36 hour endurance and will be able to operate up to 60000 ft against strong winds and severe weather, and has a payload of 3200 LB .MQ-4C will have 2D AESA radar providing it 360 degree coverage over vast section of the ocean.
MQ-4C will provide Indian Navy, a tactical platform which will be able to scan large section of Indian Ocean for Hostile surface and Submarine fleet, and it also will be operationally be quite cheaper to operate than a manned surveillance aircraft.

Indian Navy offered Maritime version of Global Hawk | idrw.org

 

[ace009]

Northrop Grumman has received and responded to Request for Information (RFI) issued recently by Indian Ministry of defence.

Indian Navy offered Maritime version of Global Hawk | idrw.org

This is great. With the Global Hawk, in time IN can extend it's range from Persian Gulf to South China Sea.

 

[plugwater]

India plans to buy the MQ-4C unmanned aerial vehicles

At the first, the MQ-4C was called BAMS UAV, it is used to supple the P-8A "Poseidon" Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft remodified by Boeing 737. This MQ-4C BAMS UAV have 36 hours battery life, so it is able to perform the task at 60,000 feet and to fight against strong winds and bad weather, and it also can upload 3200 pounds. The MQ-4C is fitted with 2D AESA radar, which can help to the vast sea area and 360 degrees coverage.
Recently, U.S. Northrop Grumman company have received the RFI from the India Defense, and they replied it throught the official channel. Northrop Grumman company have obtain the necessary permits from U.S. government, they have prepared to supply the MQ-4C Global Hawk UAV, which is improved in the maritime surveillance tasks.
Indian Navy have ordered 12 P-8I, which is the export-oriented model of U.S. Navy's P-8A Poseidon. It is mainly used to replace the previous generation of turboprop-powered P-3 maritime surveillance aircraft.
MQ-4C can provide Indian Navy the tactical platform to scan the vast surface of Indian Ocean and the underwater vessels of enemy. Compared with other monitor aircarft which doing similar tasks, the MQ-4C cost less spends.

India plans to buy the MQ-4C unmanned aerial vehicles | Global Military

 

[plugwater]

What is the cost of one MQ-4C?

 

[sandeepdg]

The cost is high, the unit cost is $210 million. I don't know whether this is the actual at which India is planing to buy. Rs 1000 crores for an UAV sounds insane ! The news is courtesy Deagel.com. Check out the link below:

MQ-4C BAMS / Broad Area Maritime Surveillance, RQ-4N BAMS

 

[plugwater]

WTF!! Too costly, More than F-22!!!

 

[Tomcat]

Pix courtesy airforce photos: MQ-4C BAMS

 

[asianobserve]

WTF!! Too costly, More than F-22!!!

You're not just buying an airframe here you're buying a system. Besides the law of supply and demand applies here, since there are only few of these unmanned systems that will be built you expect the price also to be high...

 

[sandeepdg]

You're not just buying an airframe here you're buying a system. Besides the law of supply and demand applies here, since there are only few of these unmanned systems that will be built you expect the price also to be high...

Nobody buys an airframe, you idiot ! Maybe Malaysians do... Do you know how much 1000 crore rupees equates to ? 210 million dollars is more than or equal to the price of an F-22 Raptor which is the most state-of-art fighter in history of fighter aviation as yet... I don't think this is the price of a production model MQ-4B..no way... I think the cost mentioned on the link above is the cost of the developmental prototype, which is always more than a production model. IAF won't be buying a 210 million dollar UAV !

 

[plugwater]

India will purchase the MQ-4C BAMS drone aircraft

(WAPA) - The Indian Navy will purchase six to eight Northrop Grumman MQ-4C BAMS (Broad Area Maritime Surveillance) for high-altitude reconnaissance. The aircraft is an upgrade of the Northrop Grumman heavy drone Global Hawk.

The project aims to keep a BAMS airborne all day for 365 days a year. These particular UAVs will allow India to patrol the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal joining the Boeing P-8A Poseidon fleet.

Delhi is improving its UAV fleet, having already two Israel-made Heron drone squadron. (Avionews)
(2013)
Avionews - Agenzia stampa del settore aeronautico, elicotteristico, aerospaziale e della difesa

 

[plugwater]

India could require six to eight Northrop MQ-4C BAMS

To ensure continuous coverage of its oceanic frontiers, the Indian navy would need six to eight Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) unmanned air systems (UAS).

This number would allow India to keep a BAMS airborne all day, every day for 365 days a year, says a Northrop Grumman executive who spoke to Flightglobal at India's Defexpo 2012 in New Delhi.

BAMS would be particularly useful for India because it is optimised to operate in conjunction with the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, of which India has ordered eight examples designated as the P-8I Neptune.

New Delhi is increasingly turning to unmanned systems to patrol its vast ocean frontiers, which include the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. In January 2011, the Indian navy stood up its second UAS squadron, which will operate Israel Aerospace Industries-supplied Herons and Searcher IIs over the northern Arabian Sea.

India could require six to eight Northrop MQ-4C BAMS

 

[bengalraider]

well we should just have three or four posted at the Andamans to keep a constant eye over the Malaccas and we should be able to keep a close eye on any PLAN vessels coming into or leaving from our backyard.