The world ’s oceans are massive , easily openhanded enough to conceal a whole fleet of surface ship if not carefully monitored . That ’s why the Pentagon ’s newest Broad Area Maritime Surveillance ( BAMS ) platform will keep its eye unclothe for opposition carrier groups from 60,000 metrical unit up .
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton does over the sea what the RQ-4 Global Hawk does over land : continuous spacious - area aerial surveillance . It ’s plan to take over the role of the aging P-3 Orion , complement the Boeing P-8 Poseidon , a multimission aircraft base on the 737 , and relay ISR info — specifically signal intelligence activity — to both carrier wave grouping in the part and the Joint Forces Maritime Component Commander .
The Triton measures 48 feet long with a 130 - foot wingspan . A single Rolls - Royce AE 3007 turbojet engine powers the UAS to speeds up to 375 MPH and altitudes up to 60,000 feet while toting more than 5,600 pounds of equipment . It can then stay aloft for up to 30 hours and cover some 2,000 nm . Since the Triton will confront different climates and conditions than the Global Hawk , many of the MQ-4C ’s have been re - engineered for naval operations . “ The alteration include anti / de - ice , bird strike and lightning shelter to meet contrive missionary post profile and a due regard radar for safe separation from other aircraft , ” Capt . Jim Hoke , programme managing director , secern Defense Tech .
The Triton ’s detector payload include a 360 - degree multifunction participating sensor radar array capable of spotting surface ships and missiles , EO / IR sensing element , and an machinelike identification system ( AIS ) recipient , which allow the drone to identify and classify ship ground on their transponder signals . It also includes a high - res , auto - place camera for video surveillance and communicating equipment that will allow it to play as a railway line - of - sight node between two ship on either side of the horizon .
This $ 1.16 billion project has been in exploitation since 2008 anddebuted last June . To date , only two paradigm have been discharge , though at third is nearly quick . Ground test were scheduled to start in later last September ( so as to exploit out any bugs in the flying software before launching the UAS ) .
https://gizmodo.com/this-is-the-new-spy-plane-of-the-us-navy-5918885
“ Ground testing signifies our steady advancement toward conducting Triton ’s first flight , ” said Steve Enewold , Northrop Grumman ’s Triton curriculum director , in a press command . “ Through numerous engine runs and checks with communications systems between the aircraft and undercoat restrainer , we can ensure that everything is work decently before entering taxi testing as the next pace in our efforts . ”
And with the successful completion of those taxicab tryout , the MQ-4C is currently prepping for its first flight after this springiness and deport Initial Operational Test and evaluation by 2015 . From there , a fleet of 68 MQ-4Cs stationed in Hawaii ; Diego Garcia ; NAS Jacksonville , Florida ; Kadena Air Base , Japan ; NAS Point Mugu , California ; NAS Sigonella , Italy ; and Andersen Air Force Base , Guam will take to the skies over international water .
[ Defense Tech – US Navy – Wikipedia – Naval Technology – Images : Northrop Grumman ]
Drones
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