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version of the drone. In August, Taiwan signed a seven-year US$ 555 completed successful flight testing of Raytheon
million contract with the U.S. to acquire four MQ-9B SeaGuardians. Intelligence & Space (RI&S) maritime surveillance
The first of the drones will be delivered in 2025 and the other three technologies, including its SeaVue Expanded  MARITIME
will be delivered before 2029, when the contract, which also includes Mission Capability (XMC) radar and AN/DAS-4
ground control station equipment and support systems, expires. Multi-spectral Targeting System, onboard the
SeaGuardian. According to Japanese media,
Although Taiwan is SeaGuardian’s first international customer, the the country intends to acquire three maritime
drone has evoked plenty of interest from countries across regions. surveillance drones before 2023 and then add
One of the last deals that former President Donald Trump approved 20 more UAVs in a phased manner.
was a major weapons package to the United Arab Emirates, one
that included the F-35 joint strike fighter package and 18 MQ-9Bs. SET FOR AUSTRALIA
After the Biden administration froze the agreement, UAE decided
last December to withdraw its letter of offer acceptance. GA-ASI In September, Northrop Grumman unveiled
officials are optimistic that the deal can be salvaged and believe Australia’s first MQ-4C Triton autonomous air-
that it will be the first of multiple MQ-9B sales to the militaries in craft. The production of the aircraft is scheduled
the region. for completion in 2023; the Royal Australian Air

Force (RAAF) will take delivery in 2024. The first
three drones for the service are likely to be deliv-
ered before 2026.

The high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) mar-
itime ISR system is designed to perform critical
wide-area intelligence, surveillance, recon-
naissance and targeting (ISR&T) missions. The
MQ-4C, which can cover more than one million
square miles, or two and a half million square
kilometers, of ocean and littorals in a single
flight, is a cooperative development programme
between the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
and the U.S. Navy.

“Triton will provide the Royal Australian Air Force
India has, for years, been interested in the SeaGuardian, having with an unprecedented capability to monitor
initiated talks with the U.S. about a possible sale in 2018. After ini- and protect our maritime approaches” says Air
tially leasing two unarmed drones in 2020 during the height of the Marshal Robert Chipman, Chief of the Royal
tense stand-off with China, India has now drawn up plans to buy 30 Australian Air Force. “Triton will work alongside
SeaGuardian armed drones, ten each for the Navy, Army, and the Air the P-8A Poseidon and this unmanned aircraft
Force, in a US$3 billion deal. The Indian Navy currently operates a mix system will allow us to cover significant areas,
of Israeli-built Heron and Searcher UAVs for intelligence-gathering at longer ranges and has the ability to stay air-
and surveillance. The service also uses aerial surveillance platforms borne longer than a traditional aircraft.”
such the Boeing P-8I Neptune aircraft, IL-38s, and Dornier planes.
According to Doug Shaffer, Northrop Grumman
A major advantage the MQ-9B has over the competition is that vice president autonomous ISR and targeting
it is the first remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) that has been devel- programmes, Triton will allow Australia’s crewed
oped to fly in civil airspace alongside manned aircraft. The MQ-9B P-8 planes to focus on anti-submarine warfare
can perform over-the-horizon long-endurance, medium-altitude (ASW) rather than splitting their time between
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions and that and intelligence, surveillance, and recon-
can be configured for a range of naval and littoral surveillance naissance (ISR).
operations, including anti-surface warfare (ASuW), anti-submarine
warfare (ASW), search and rescue (SAR), humanitarian assistance The Triton, which is a derivative of the RQ-4
and disaster relief (HADR), surveillance of borders and law enforce- Global Hawk, has a reinforced airframe, for
ment. increased internal payload, and wing for hail,

bird strike, and gust load protection, along with
GA-ASI is collaborating with other defence contractors, includ- de-icing and lightning protection systems. These
ing Leonardo and Raytheon, on the SeaGuardian. In January last allow the UAV to descend and ascend through
year, the company announced that it was working with Leonardo harsh maritime weather environments to gain
to integrate the company’s Seaspray radar onto the drone to a closer view of ships and other targets at sea
offer persistent maritime ISR capability to its customers. The same when needed. The aircraft, which can fly over
month, the company announced that Japan’s coast guard had 24 hours at a time at altitudes higher than 10
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