Lack of infrastructure delays Australian Triton arrival
The RAAF will have to wait another year to receive at home its first MQ-4C Triton. (RAAF)
Australia will have to figure out what to do with its first Triton for a year before base facilities in-country are ready for it.
The arrival of Australia’s first MQ-4C Triton will be delayed by a year till 2024 because the requisite air base infrastructure for the large UAV with a Boeing 737 wingspan is behind schedule.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has three Tritons on contract out of six required under Project Air 7000 Phase 1B. Northrop Grumman confirmed that the first will still be ready for handover in 2023.
According to the Department of Defence, the reason for delays in starting infrastructure work in Australia is the USN’s production pause in its Triton programme in early 2020.
Consequently, Australia had delayed
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
![AUSA 2026: New multiwarhead loitering munition enters increasingly competitive market]()
AUSA 2026: New multiwarhead loitering munition enters increasingly competitive market
Heaviside Industries has unveiled its new Tyr loitering munition at AUSA 2026 in Washington, DC, joining a growing field of manufacturers seeking to capitalise on billions of dollars in anticipated military spending.
-
![Middle Eastern demand opens fresh export prospects for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet]()
Middle Eastern demand opens fresh export prospects for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet
A proposed Saudi Arabian purchase of 48 stealth fighters could signal a broader regional opportunity for the F-35 as European programmes mature.
-
![US military plans multi-UAV trials with Northrop Grumman quantum-navigated Lumberjack]()
US military plans multi-UAV trials with Northrop Grumman quantum-navigated Lumberjack
An undisclosed US military branch is preparing to evaluate multiple Lumberjack Group 3 drones equipped with SandboxAQ’s AQNav magnetic-navigation system. Shephard spoke with Northrop Grumman and SandboxAQ to find out more.
-
![Akinci: How Baykar turned the UAV into an African and Middle Eastern export success]()
Akinci: How Baykar turned the UAV into an African and Middle Eastern export success
From billion-dollar industrial partnerships in the Middle East to rapid military off-the-shelf deliveries in Africa, Baykar has tailored the Akinci to the needs of very different customers. Defence Insight data shows how flexibility, price and Turkish supply-chain independence have helped drive exports.
