Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Unmanned surveillance aerial vehicle

Power Plant:

One 8,917 lbst Rolls Royce AE 3007 turbofan

Specifications:

History:

The MQ-4C is a development of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed for the United States Navy as a surveillance aircraft and has been developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program. The system was designed to provide real-time intelligence by flying reconnaissance missions over oceans and coastal regions around the world, providing continuous maritime surveillance, also being able to assist in rescue operations, and to assist the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The MQ-4C used some of the Global Hawk design but incorporated reinforcement to the airframe and wing, de-icing and lightning protection systems.

The aircraft is able to descend through cloud to carry out observations of ships and targets at sea when required, and the aircraft’s sensors allow ships to be tracked over time. The System Development and Demonstration aircraft, the first produced, was delivered for testing in 2012 and initial order for the US Navy was for two prototypes and 68 production aircraft.  Initially production was to take place in the fiscal year 2014 but this was moved to 2015, and entry into US Navy service was expected to take place in 2017.

In 2001 a Global Hawk, a development aircraft (serial 982006), was brought to Australia and undertook trials from RAAF Edinburgh in South Australia with the Australian Defence Force and the DSTO, the aircraft receiving the temporary name on the forward fuselage of Southern Cross II.

On March 13, 2013 the Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, and Defence Minister, David Johnston, made a joint announcement that Australia would acquire the MQ-4C subject to the completion of the designing Company’s success with the development program and these aircraft would be based at RAAF Base, Edinburgh, SA alongside the Boeing P-8A Poseidon. The acquisition of these aircraft would be under the AIR 7000 Phase 1B (Air 7000 Phase 1A was for the Poseidon) project and would require new facilities and infrastructure. The total number of aircraft to be acquired and the date of the introduction into service would be considered further in 2016 based on the Defence White Paper. On 25 February 2016 the Defence White Paper stated seven examples would be obtained in the next decade to complement the P-8A Poseidon.

The Tritons, although based at Edinburgh, are likely to be deployed for operations in other areas and RAAF Tindal in the Northern Territory has been named as a likely base. An ”A’ number serial for the series has not yet been allocated and whether they will be attached to an existing squadron or a completely new unit is still to be determined. It is also not yet known how many airframes will ultimately be obtained but it is expected to be between six and eight aircraft, with introduction into service in 2020.

In Australia it is expected to act as both a military platform and as a customs enforcement platform, the aircraft being able to detect small boats in northern waters through cloud cover.  At the 2013 Australian International Air Show at Avalon, VIC a full size mockup of an MQ-4C Triton was on display on behalf of Northrop Grumman. In February 2014 Air Marshall Geoffrey Brown, stated that the RAAF was considering purchase of further P-8A Poseidon aircraft, and that seven MQ-4Cs would be obtained.

The plan for the MQ-4C is to perform high-altitude broad area surveillance missions, thus allowing the new P-8A Poseidon aircraft to be used for dedicated anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare missions, as well as search and rescue response and electronic intelligence missions. The MQ-4C has also been ordered by the Indian Navy, these being complementary to the 12 Boeing P-8I Poseidons that service has ordered for maritime patrol.

The prototype MQ-4C first flew at Palmdale Regional Airport in California on 22 May 2013, reaching an altitude of 6,096 m (20,000 ft) and flying for an hour and 20 minutes. By 6 January 2014 46 hours of flying had been completed in nine flights and the performance envelope was being expanded. By March that year 81 flight hours had been completed with an altitude of 18,258 m (59,900 ft) being reached. First US Navy unit to operate the aircraft was VUP-19 at NAS Jacksonville, Florida, with a detachment to be detached to NAS Point Mugu, California and these aircraft were tasked to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions for the United States 5th, 6th and 7th Fleets, VUP-11 later being set up to take over operations in the Pacific region.

An RQ-4 Global Hawk was flown to Australia in early 2015, arriving at Avalon, VIC on 21 February 2015, having flown from Guam. This aircraft was being shown to military authorities as part of the Australian International Airshow and this was the first time a military Unmanned Aerial System had been in civil airspace with civil air traffic control services, and the first time a military UAS had landed at a civil airport. A Global Hawk had previously visited Australia, one having visited RAAF Edinburgh, SA.  On 1 March 2019 an unmanned Global Hawk landed at the Australian International Air Show at Avalon, the aircraft having flown from its USAF base at Guam, landing at Avalon at 3.30 pm after covering 5,700 km (3,542 miles).

On 26 June 2018 the Australian Prime Minister announced that Australia would acquire six Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial systems, the first to be delivered in mid-2023 with initial operational capability 12 months later, with all six aircraft to be in service by mid-2025, the aircraft to be based at RAAF Edinburgh in South Australia and RAAF Tindal in the Northern Territory.