Australia confirms Triton order

26th June 2018 - 07:35 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Hong Kong

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On 26 June the Australian government announced it was investing A$1.4 billion ($1.04 billion) to acquire the first of six Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton UAVs for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

The first unmanned aircraft under this Project Air 7000 Phase 1B requirement is expected to enter service in mid-2023, with all six to be flying from RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia by late 2025.

This date of 2023 coincides with the expected retirement date for the last of the AP-3C Orion fleet.

In all, the six Tritons are expected to cost A$6.9 billion, a figure that includes

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Author

Gordon Arthur

Gordon Arthur was the Asia Pacific editor for Shephard Media. Born in Scotland and educated …

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