Australia’s Third MQ-4C Triton Drone Nears Delivery
Northrop Grumman has completed testing Australia’s third of four MQ-4C Triton drones at its California facility, bringing it one step closer to final delivery.
The uncrewed aircraft will be transferred to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, where it will join the second MQ-4C for calibration testing.
Once testing is complete, the drones are expected to be handed over to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) later this year and stationed at RAAF Base Tindal.
They will be operated by No. 9 Squadron and work alongside the crewed P-8A Poseidon fleet for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
Australia procured four Triton remotely piloted aircraft systems, receiving its first drone in July last year. There are indications that up to three more may be added.
HALE Maritime Aircraft
The MQ-4C Triton is a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) maritime drone capable of flying above 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) for over 24 hours, with a range of 7,400 nautical miles (8,515 miles/13,704 kilometers).
This allows the autonomous aircraft to provide “four times the ISR coverage of other autonomous platforms without sacrificing altitude, range, or endurance,” according to the defense manufacturer.
Last September, Northrop’s Triton underwent flight testing in the Arctic, demonstrating its ability to operate in harsh environments successfully.
