Second US Navy Triton UAS takes flight
The second MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for the US Navy programme completed its first flight on 15 October, Northrop Grumman has reported.
Conducted out of the company’s manufacturing facility in Palmdale, a US Navy and Northrop Grumman flight team conducted the flight as part of preparations for the aircraft’s flight to a US Navy facility in Maryland later this month.
The aircraft will now undergo a variety of ground checks and inspections ahead of its ferry flight.
Mike Mackey, Triton program director, Northrop Grumman, said: ‘Our team worked incredibly hard to get the second Triton ready for first flight, which will help us plan its ferry flight to Naval Air Station Patuxent River. We're eager to continue working with the navy during the next phase of Triton's flight test programme to speed up its availability to the warfighter.’
Northrop Grumman is the navy's prime contractor for the Triton UAS programme. Specifically designed for maritime missions of up to 24 hours, Triton can fly at altitudes higher than 10 miles, allowing for coverage of 1 million square nautical miles of ocean. Its advanced suite of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors can detect and classify different types of ships.
The US Navy's program of record calls for 68 Tritons to be fielded.
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