Based near Katherine in the Top End and flown from RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia, the first of Australia’s remotely piloted long-range endurance MQ-4C surveillance aircraft, dubbed ‘Triton’, has been officially rolled out at a ceremony at Northrop Grumman’s facilities in California.
The first of seven Triton system platforms scheduled to start arriving in Australia in 2024, the aircraft will be operated by the Royal Australian Air Force. It will keep an eye on activities and ear on signals in the vast oceans surrounding Australia, staying airborne for up to 30 hours.
Mission longevity in the air is a crucial feature of maritime surveillance because of submarines’ ability to avoid detection by staying underwater during daylight hours or using cloud cover.
Australia has partnered with the US Navy — the other big Triton user — and Northrop Grumman to develop the aircraft. Tritons have hardened airframes and special de-icing and lightning-resistant equipment enabling them to drop suddenly to lower altitudes to surveil targets.
“This partnership is pushing the boundaries of air power to pursue a truly advanced platform that will provide both a foundational capability and a growth path for future decades,” the RAAF’s head of Air Force capability, air vice-marshal Robert Denney, said.
“Once in service, the remotely piloted High Altitude Long Endurance aerial system will significantly enhance our ability to persistently patrol Australia’s north and north-western approaches, in the south-west Pacific and south to Antarctica.
Although based in the Northern Territory, pilots operating missions will work out of RAAF Base Edinburgh, which is in Adelaide and which has been traditionally been the home of No 92 Wing’s AP-3C Orion and P-8A Poseidon crewed aircraft.
Much loved by pilots and enthusiasts alike, Australia’s Orions have been flying in some shape or form since 1968; their airframes are based on the Lockheed Electra, which entered service in 1957 and was operated locally by Ansett, TAA and Qantas.
The Tritons will replace and augment the capabilities of the Orions as the Orions are gradually retired over the coming two years.
The RAAF, meanwhile, is talking up the local industry component of the Triton project.
“Defence will invest more than $900 million in Australian industry, including sustainment, ICT and facilities,” Head Aerospace Systems Division, Air Vice-Marshal Leon Phillips said.
“This project is an excellent example of the successful partnership between our two nations and reflects the collaborative work between Defence and defence industry in delivering this strategic capability,” air vice-marshal Phillips said.
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