Page 10 - AVALON 2023 - Day 2 | DAILY NEWS

TRITON GETS READY FOR

AUSTRALIAN SERVICE

© Northrop Grumman

The first Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton Project Air 7000 Phase 1B requires six They will also operate from the forward
high-altitude long-endurance UAV destined Tritons and it does have an option on a operational location of RAAF Base Tindal
for Australia was unveiled at the OEM’s pro- seventh. In any case, the eventual number in the Northern Territory; the latter will
duction facilities in Palmdale, California on of aircraft will presumably be determined receive new hangars, maintenance facili-
14 September last year, while a mock-up is by the Defence Strategic Review. ties, accommodation, aircraft pavements
present at Avalon Airshow 2023. and supporting engineering services.
Bishop said the fuselage and wing of the
Jane Bishop, Vice President of Northrop RAAF’s second aircraft occurred in January, It was announced in September 2021 that
Grumman’s Global Surveillance business, while the third will undergo this milestone Northrop Grumman has delivered the Triton
said the aircraft will perform its maiden in April. Australian operators are already Network Integration Test Environment
flight later this year, before it is due in embedded with the US Navy, so training is (NITE) to the ADF at Edinburgh. The NITE
Australia in mid-2024. Its construction had in process. is used to configure and test Triton network
commenced at Moss Point, Mississippi in interfaces and systems ahead of delivery.
October 2020, before its fuselage and one- The RAAF is busy preparing infrastructure
such as accommodation, operating facili-
piece wing were then mated at Palmdale in ties and supporting engineering services
December 2021. Australian and US Navy Tritons will be able
at RAAF Base Edinburgh near Adelaide, to share data between their respective
which will be the main base for these large, militaries. The USN had a pair of MQ-4Cs
Air Marshal Robert Chipman, Chief of the ungainly aircraft that have the wingspan
RAAF, said at last year’s unveiling: ‘Triton will of a Boeing 737 jet. Indeed, the reason stationed at Andersen Air Force Base on
provide the Royal Australian Air Force with for the delay of the first Triton to Australia Guam for two years until mid-2022, and
an unprecedented capability to monitor and is because the requisite infrastructure is they performed 5,000 flight hours as part
protect our maritime approaches. Triton will behind schedule, which Defence attributes of an operational deployment.
work alongside the P-8A Poseidon, and this to a pause in Triton production in early
unmanned aircraft system will allow us to 2020. Australian Tritons will be flown by No. 92
cover significant areas, at longer ranges, Wing of the RAAF. Final operational capabil-
and has the ability to stay airborne longer The USA had halted funding for the Triton ity is still scheduled for 2025-26. Australia
than a traditional aircraft.’ in FY2021, and there were fears that the will use a configuration containing the IFC-4
USN might even cancel the programme. Multi-Intelligence capability, the same as
Australia has three Tritons on contract, However, the USN allocated USD587.8 mil- what the US Navy. An initial operational
though the ADF has previously said that lion for three aircraft in its FY2023 budget. capability for IFC-4 is due this year.
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