Northrop Grumman prepares huge MQ-4C Triton drone for first flight for Royal Australian Air Force

Last year, US company Northrop Grumman unveiled the MQ-4C Triton drone for the Royal Australian Air Force. The drone is already preparing for its debut flight.

Here's What We Know

Australia has ordered three drones. Northrop Grumman officials said work on Australia's MQ-4Cs is progressing on schedule. The first drone is called AUS1 and will make its debut flight in summer 2023. The announcement was made by Triton program manager Rho Cauley-Bruner.

The MQ-4C Triton AUS1 is currently in the test phase. The drone will take to the skies for the first time in the third quarter of 2023, with handover to the Royal Australian Air Force scheduled for mid-2024.

Also, Ro Coley-Bruner noted that Northrop Grumman has begun construction of a second drone, the AUS2. Work began in January 2023. The third MQ-4C Triton is at the Moss Point plant and will be shipped to Palmdale next month.

Flashback 

The Triton is a long range and high altitude unmanned aerial vehicle. It was developed from the RQ-4 Global Hawk for the US Navy. The drone is designed for surveillance and reconnaissance. The cost of the development program is almost $13 billion, and the price of a single UAV is more than $120 million.

The drone is equipped with a Rolls-Royce AE 3007 engine. It has a top speed of 610km/h and a cruising speed of 575km/h. The UAV can fly for 30 hours at a maximum altitude of 17 km. The practical range exceeds 15,000 km. The MQ-4C Triton has a crew of four operators.

Source: Janes