6. The USA’s MQ-4C Triton
Producing company: Northrop Grumman
principal users: the US Navy
Program Expense: $12.7665,565 *
Cost per unit: $120 million*
One long-endurance UAV that can reach high altitudes is the MQ-4C Triton. Northrop Grumman built the Triton specifically for the Navy. It is used by the Royal Australian Air Force and the Navy for ISR missions over oceanic and coastal regions. The Triton also continuously monitors the seas and performs search and rescue operations.
MQ-4C Triton (USA) Facebook.com/@airlivenews
Although it is modeled on the RQ-4 Global Hawk, the Triton is an adjunct to the P-8 Poseidon. The Triton’s wing and airframe have been reinforced, in contrast to the Global Hawk. Its lightning protection and de-icing systems are improved. This makes it possible for the Triton to fly through clouds and observe ships and other maritime objects more clearly.
It is anticipated that the Triton will reach full operating capability in 2023—a full twelve years after the SDD was delivered. At 55,000 feet, the Triton can stay in the air for more than thirty hours while reaching speeds of up to 380 miles per hour. Triton has some degree of autonomy. Operators only need to select an operating area and set the controls.
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