Northrop Grumman achieves new milestone in Triton Drone production

Asia-Pacific, News, US December 19, 2021 , by IRIA No Comments

Defense Manufacturer Northrop Grumman recently passed a significant milestone in the production of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) first MQ-4C Triton Drone when the aircraft fuselage was mounted onto Triton’s unique one-piece wing.

The Triton is a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE), maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform. Once completed and delivered to Australia, Triton’s powerful payload and endurance will provide the RAAF with the ability to detect and analyze threats that were previously undetectable, the Northrop Grumman statement read.

Australia’s first Triton is on track to be delivered just as the U.S. Navy expects to achieve initial operating capability with their multi-intelligence Tritons, the same configuration Australia is receiving. “The identical capabilities will allow the RAAF and U.S. Navy to share data and maintain an unblinking autonomous intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting capability over some of the world’s most critical maritime regions,” Northrop Grumman Corporation statement read.

Triton Program Manager at Northrop Grumman Rho Cauley-Bruner said, “This production milestone further demonstrates our commitment to both sides of the cooperative program between the Royal Australian Air Force and the U.S. Navy… We are on schedule to deliver Triton’s powerful capability in support of Australia’s national security.”

*^{Australia’s first MQ-4C Triton fuselage is lowered onto the unique one-piece wing. (Image Credit: Northrop Grumman)}*

Director of Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare at Air Force Headquarters Group, Captain Jason Lind said, “The Air Force is pleased with the continuing progress of our first Triton and the ongoing strong relationships we enjoy within the Cooperative Program with the U.S. Navy and with the manufacturer of the Triton, Northrop Grumman Corporation”.

“I am looking forward to seeing our first Triton roll off the production line and then commence flying in Australian skies in 2024. This capability will extend Australia’s ability to see and understand our maritime approaches to the north and also as far south as Antarctica,” Lind added.

Earlier in July 2021, MQ-4C Triton first took to the skies in the highly upgraded multi-intelligence configuration, integrated functional capability four, known as IFC-4.

On September 1, Northrop Grumman Australia delivered the Triton Network Integration Test Environment (NITE) to Australia ahead of schedule, marking another milestone in the Australian MQ-4C Triton program.

According to Northrop Grumman’s release, “NITE will support Chief Information Officer Group (CIOG) to configure and test the array of Triton network interfaces and systems prior to the delivery of the first aircraft to Australia in 2023.”

The Triton program once completed will revolutionize Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance in the Indo-Pacific region.