Naomi Cooper
Northrop Grumman has partnered with the U.S. Navy and BAE Systems to test its airborne gateway technology aboard an unmanned aerial system to provide interoperability among disconnected maritime assets.
During the flight test, the gateway was installed into the MQ-4C Triton flying test bed to distribute fifth-generation sensor data to ground-based simulators representing various platforms including an E-2D early warning system, an F-35 fighter jet and the U.S. Navy Aegis class destroyers, Northrop said Monday.
The gateway technology was paired with Triton’s existing artificial intelligence and radar capabilities to deliver enhanced situational awareness to system operators.
“This demonstration highlighted gateway technology enhancements to Triton that would enable information dominance across distributed maritime assets; including access to the F-35’s robust sensor suite and the E-2D’s battle management capabilities,” said Jane Bishop, vice president and general manager of global surveillance at Northrop.
Ben Davies, VP and general manager of network information solutions at Northrop, said the new system will help the Navy enable distributed maritime operations.
