$100 Million Navy Drone Crashes in Maryland

An investigation is underway into the crash of a Navy Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Navy Drone Crashes in Maryland A highflying surveillance drone being tested by the Navy crashed Monday in eastern Maryland, the military said. The Navy said in a statement that a Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator, or BAMS-D, unmanned aircraft went down around midday in a swampy area near Bloodsworth Island, in Dorchester County. No casualties were reported, Petty Officer Jonathan Lindberg, a Coast Guard spokesman, said. "We have a boat out there, and they are establishing a 500-yard safety zone around where it crashed," he said. The aircraft was one of five Global Hawk drones the service acquired from the Air Force to test as high-altitude maritime surveillance aircraft. The $100 million craft, which is unarmed, can carry a range of payloads, from sophisticated cameras to eavesdropping equipment.