Triton embarks on test programme following first IFC-4 flight
An MQ-4C Triton taxis at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. (Photo: USAF/Senior Airman Michael Murphy)
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance UAV, which successfully flew for the first time in its Integrated Functional Capability Four (IFC-4) configuration on 29 July at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, is starting a test programme aimed at achieving IOC by late 2023.
CAPT Dan Mackin, USN Triton programme manager, said on 3 August that the test programme will ‘look to validate all the capabilities Triton has from current systems and that they are going to continue to have along with the COMINT and IMINT [imagery intelligence] systems associated with IFC-4 capabilities’.
Speaking during a briefing at the annual
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Air Warfare
-
Norway cleared for possible $2.6 billion HH-60W helicopter FMS
The possible sale for nine HH-60W makes Norway the first Foreign Military Sale customer for the rescue and combat helicopter and adds to the country’s ongoing acquisition of Sikorsky-made helicopters.
-
Bell selected over Boeing to build DARPA SPRINT X-Plane
The programme first began in 2023 with Bell and Boeing’s concepts progressing to Phase 1B, in which testing has been carried out over the last year.
-
National Audit Office report highlights major delays in UK’s F-35 programme
The report discloses that while the capability provided by the F-35 is superior to previous UK aircraft, delays from the UK Ministry of Defence on the programme have significantly impacted the country’s warfighting capabilities.
-
Boeing E-7A still in South Korean AEW&C competition, despite dropout reports
The E-7A is one of three aircraft submitted for the South Korean AEW&C II competition, which seeks to acquire four more aircraft of the type for its air force by 2028.