Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton

The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) under development for the United States Navy as a surveillance aircraft. Developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program, the system is intended to provide continuous maritime surveillance for the US Navy, and to complement the Boeing P-8 Poseidon, the Boeing 737-based Multimission Maritime Aircraft (MMA).

The system is expected to enter service around 2015. Around 40 UAVs will be based at various sites - including Hawaii; Diego Garcia; NAS Jacksonville, Florida; Kadena Air Base, Japan; NAS Point Mugu, California, and NAS Sigonella, Italy. The Air Force Times reported on September 14, 2012, that the system will also be stationed at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

Contract competition
The competitors for the contract included:


 * Boeing, with an unmanned version of the Gulfstream G550 business jet. It was optionally manned and has "commonality with other Boeing-built naval aircraft."


 * Northrop Grumman, with a marinized RQ-4 Global Hawk. In order to begin testing the surveillance package early, Northrop Grumman contracted with Flight Test Associates of the Mojave Spaceport to modify a Grumman Gulfstream II as a flying testbed.


 * Lockheed Martin, with a General Atomics Mariner

On 22 April 2008, Northrop Grumman received the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance contract worth $1.16 billion. Lockheed Martin filed a formal protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) two weeks later. On August 11, 2008 the GAO ruled to uphold the Navy’s selection of Northrop Grumman. In September 2010, the BAMS aircraft was designated the MQ-4C.

Initial development
Official unveiling took place on June 14, 2012 at Palmdale, California. During the event, it was announced that the navy had approved the name "Triton" for the aircraft. First flight is expected by the end of 2012, followed by test flights at Edwards AFB and NAS Patuxent River. Initial Operational Capability is planned for December 2015.

The US Navy plans a fleet of 68 MQ-4Cs and 117 Boeing P-8As to replace the aging P-3 Orion force.

Senior Australian customs officials doubt how effectively the planned seven MQ-4C aircraft would detect small boats in the country's northern waters, especially through cloud cover. Air Marshall Geoff Brown, head of the Royal Australian Air Force, has said Australia is considering purchasing more manned P-8 Poseidon aircraft, and reducing the number of MQ-4C Triton UAVs than it originally planned to buy.

In August 2013, the navy paused the development of the "sense and avoid" radar system that would enable the MQ-4C to avoid other aircraft traffic. The Triton would have been the first unmanned aircraft to be fitted with an airborne sense and avoid solution, but the system is behind schedule and over budget. The radar system remains a requirement in the program, but budgetary and technology pressures have forced the navy to defer integrating it onto the aircraft. The navy and Northrop are working to determine when the sense-and-avoid system can be cut into the production line.

On 6 September 2013, the Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a $9.98 million contract for maintenance and support of the MQ-4C to enable it to fly 15 missions per month, an increase from 9 per month as previously planned. Navy commanders want to keep closer tabs on activities in the ocean and coastal regions of the Middle East.

Flight testing
The MQ-4C Triton performed its first flight on 22 May 2013 from an airfield at Palmdale, California. The flight lasted 1 hour 20 minutes and the aircraft reached 20,000 ft.

Current operators

 * United States Navy
 * United States Navy

Potential operators

 * Royal Australian Air Force - The Australian government confirmed its interest in acquiring the MQ-4C in May 2013.
 * Indian Navy - Northrop Grumman was cleared by the U.S. government to conduct preliminary discussions in March 2013.
 * Indian Navy - Northrop Grumman was cleared by the U.S. government to conduct preliminary discussions in March 2013.
 * Indian Navy - Northrop Grumman was cleared by the U.S. government to conduct preliminary discussions in March 2013.