Matthew Nelson
An Northrop Grumman-designed unmanned aerial vehicle took its maiden flight on Jan. 26 and extended the U.S. military’s surveillance capabilities in the Pacific region.
The MQ-4C Triton aircraft is designed to gather intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data, the company said Monday. It uses an autonomous suite of maritime sensors that will help operators monitor, trace, validate and identify ships in littoral areas and the ocean.
The aircraft can reach an altitude of 10 miles and operate for more than 24 hours at an operational range of 8.2K nautical miles.
“Our partnership with the U.S. Navy has been crucial in developing this system that will help commanders build a better common operational picture,†said Doug Shaffer, vice president and Triton program manager at Northrop.
