MQ-4C Triton UAS set for next phase of testing
The US Navy’s first MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) has arrived at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland following an 11 hour flight from the Northrop Grumman facility in Palmdale, California. During the flight, the aircraft was controlled from a ‘forward operating base’ ground station in Palmdale, and a Navy System Integration Lab ‘main operating base’ at Patuxent River.
The aircraft will now enter its next phase of testing, moving the MQ-4C Trion programme closer to operational assessment.
Sensor suites, including the AN/ZPY-3 multifunction active sensor radar, will now be integrated into the MQ-4C ahead of a series of integration flight tests. The Northrop Grumman AN/ZPY-3 radar provides a 360° field of view, allowing the sensor suit to detect and identify ships from an altitude of higher than 10 miles during maritime missions of up to 24 hour duration.
James Hoke, Triton program manager, Naval Air Systems Command, said: ‘Now that the aircraft has arrived, we are ready to conduct the next phase of the test programme. Triton is one of the navy's most significant investments in UAS to date and we look forward to evaluating its capabilities.’
Mike Mackey, Triton UAS program director, Northrop Grumman, added: ‘Triton is the navy's largest, most advanced unmanned maritime surveillance system to cross such a distance. The successful flight was the result of a navy/Northrop Grumman team effort, from finishing a major software package to managing equipment inspections.’
Two other Triton aircraft, including one demonstration aircraft owned by Northrop Grumman, will also fly to Patuxent River in the coming weeks. Both will be used during system development and demonstration tests.
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