Navy Orders One Additional MQ-4C Triton UAV

An MQ-4C Triton taxis at Andersen Air Force Base. U.S. AIR FORCE / Senior Airman Michael S. Murphy

ARLINGTON, Va. β€” The U.S. Navy has ordered an additional MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle. 

The Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. a $98.9 million contract modification to a previously awarded, fixed-priced incentive contract β€œfor one additional low-rate initial production Lot Five MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system,” the Defense Department said in a March 26 contract announcement. 

The order brings LRIP Lot 5 to three Tritons and, counting orders of the four previous LRIP lots, the Navy has ordered a total of 15. The service plans to procure a total of 68 production Tritons. 

The Navy has taken delivery of three LRIP 1 Tritons so far, in addition to its two prototypes used for development and testing.  

Last year, the Navy began an Early Operational Capability deployment of the Triton to Guam with a detachment of unmanned Patrol Squadron 19. The Navy plans to deploy three orbits overseas by 2025, and later establish two orbits from bases in the continental United States. 

Work on the new order is expected to be completed in January 2025. 

image_pdfimage_print
Richard R. Burgess, Senior Editor