The first high-altitude long-endurance MQ-4C Triton autonomous aircraft of Australia is unveiled by its manufacturer Northrop Grumman in a ceremony held at California.
⌚ Timestamps:
00:00 Australia’s First MQ-4C Triton HALE UAS Unveiled
01:20 Capabilities of Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton UAS
02:57 History and Development of MQ-4C Triton UAS
04:38 Specifications of MQ-4C Triton UAS
05:46 Weapons and Sensors of MQ-4C Triton UAS
07:05 Export of MQ-4C Triton
The work on Australia’s first MQ-4C Triton was started in October 2020 and unmanned system is scheduled for delivery in 2024. The future induction of this advanced maritime surveillance system into Australian defense forces will give the critical capability to Australia to monitor the world’s most strategic region amid tensions with China. In 2014, Australia decided to acquire 07 MQ-4C Triton UAS to team up with future fleet of around 12 P-8 Poseidon aircraft for maritime surveillance and to replace its aging P-3 Orion fleet. Australia was the first foreign customer of the aircraft.
The surveillance aircraft is being developed by the American aviation giant Northrop Grumman under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Program of U.S. Navy. The UAS system is equipped to provide real-time intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting capability over the vast regions during the joint maritime missions with the P-8 Poseidon aircraft.
The U.S. Department of Defense initiated the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Aircraft Program for U.S. Navy in 2008. Three American companies participated in the competition including Boeing with its Gulfstream G550 business jet, Lockheed Martin with MQ-9 Mariner and Northrop Grumman with naval version of RQ-4 Global Hawk. Later on, a contract worth 1.16 billion USD was awarded to Northrop Grumman. The BAMS aircraft was designated as MQ-4C in 2010. Later on, U.S. Navy approved the name of the aircraft as Triton. The first aircraft was unveiled in 2012. The MQ-4C took its maiden flight in May 2013 at Edwards Air Force Base California. The aircraft achieved its initial operational capability in 2017.
MQ-4C Triton autonomous aircraft has length of 14.5 meter, wingspan of 39.9 meter and height of 4.6 meter. The maximum takeoff weight of the unmanned aircraft is 32,250 pounds. The maximum speed of MQ-4C Triton aircraft is 575 km and it has range of 15,200 km. The aircraft has amazing endurance of around 30 hours and can operate with the service ceiling of 56,000 feet.
The MQ-4C is installed with AN/ZPY-3 Multi Function Active Sensor Radar with 360 degree field of regard which enable the aircraft to survey 2.7 million sq mile of sea in 24 hours flight. It is all-weather Unmanned Aerial System which can take high definition radar pictures for use by onboard Automatic Identification System. It can autonomously fly over a designated area with the set speed, altitude and objectives.
– All contents on Miltech Insights are presented for educational, critic and news reporting purposes.
– The appearance of visual / audio information does not contain endorsement of U.S. DoD, Australian defense forces, royal Australian air force, Northrop Grumman or any other country / organization.
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