US Navy MQ-4C Trition UAV Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) completed its maiden cross-country ferry flight an...
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| US Navy MQ-4C Trition UAV |
This flight marked the transition from basic initial flight tests to operational missions in the maritime domain.
During the approximately 11-hour 3,290 nautical mile flight originating from Northrop Grumman's Palmdale, California, facility, the Triton flew along the southern U.S. border, the Gulf of Mexico and across Florida via an approved instrument route. Operators navigated the aircraft up the Atlantic Coast and Chesapeake Bay at altitudes in excess of 50,000 feet to ensure there were no conflicts with civilian air traffic.
At Patuxent River, Triton will be outfitted with a sensor suite, before going through a series of sensor integration flights. One of Triton's primary sensors, the AN/ZPY-3 multifunction active sensor radar, will provide an unprecedented 360-degree field of regard for detecting and identifying ships.
Over the next few weeks, two more Tritons, one of which is owned by Northrop, will also fly to Patuxent River, for system development and demonstration tests. The Three Tritons will fly approximately 2,000 hours before achieving initial operational capability in 2017.
The MQ-4C completed test flight with updated software that enables additional beyond-line-of-sight communication capabilities on Aug. 19.
Developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program for U.S. Navy, the MQ-4C system is capable of providing persistent maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) capability using multi-sensor mission payloads like maritime radar and Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR).
The MQ-4C Triton is a naval version of the U.S. Air Force RQ-4B Global Hawk and features reinforcements to the airframe and wing, along with de-icing and lightning protection systems.
In maritime operation, Triton will complement the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. Powered by a single Rolls-Royce AE3007H turbofan engine, the 18km service ceiling along with the unrefuelled endurance for 30 hours allow Triton to scan 1 million square nautical miles of ocean, in a single mission.
