The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has denied Lockheed Martin’s protest of the U.S. Navy’s award to Northrop Grumman for its Broad Area Maritime Surveillance unmanned aerial system (UAS).

Lockheed, which proposed a Predator UAS-based design with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, protested the Navy’s selection in late April, citing a lower cost for its offering. Though the Global Hawk’s cost was initially higher, industry officials suggest the Navy was pleased that Northrop’s product met objectives such as range and endurance earlier in the program than its competitors (Aerospace DAILY, May 6, 7).

Northrop Grumman won the $1.16 billion development contract in April, but the Navy stopped work on the program as is customary during a protest. Work on the Global Hawk Block 40-derived systems is expected to begin again shortly. The GAO’s decision was to be out at midweek, but was finalized late Aug. 8, according to industry officials.

The system will replace aging P-3s and provide 360-degree coverage with its Multi-Function Active Sensor radar. The first BAMS air vehicle could fly as soon as mid-2011, although the impact of the work stoppage on the schedule hasn’t yet been announced. The total Navy buy is expected to be 68 aircraft. The U.S. Air Force and Germany are also buying Global Hawks for various intelligence-collection missions. And, Spain is in talks to buy more aircraft for maritime and overland surveillance. The UAV also will serve as the platform for NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance system.

GAO’s decision backs the U.S. Navy’s acquisition process, which the auditing agency deemed sound after the hotly contested competition. Boeing also submitted a bid based on an optionally unmanned G550 platform. An endorsement of the service’s acquisition practices could smooth the way ahead for the forthcoming EP-3 replacement, called EP-X.

GAO’s announcement also solidifies Northrop as the Navy’s preferred UAS provider. The company is building two combat drone demonstrators for its Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) program, giving the company prominence for a program of record, if the service decides to pursue one.

GAO’s finding distances the Navy from the procurement problems that are plaguing the Air Force. The Pentagon is expected to meet separately Aug. 12 with Boeing and Northrop-EADS to discuss their responses to the draft request for proposals that was released last week for the aerial refueling tanker recompetition (Aerospace DAILY, Aug. 11). Boeing protested the decision, and GAO found missteps in the Air Force’s February selection of an Airbus A330-200-based design proposed by Northrop-EADS.

The Air Force is also expected to announce the winner of the its combat search and rescue helicopter competition in October; that contest was restarted repeatedly after well-documented acquisition foul-ups by the service.

Photo: Northrop Grumman