OVERVIEW: The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) under development for the United States Navy as a surveillance aircraft. In tandem with its associated ground control station, it is considered an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program, the system is intended to provide real-time intelligence, reconnaissance missions (ISR) over vast ocean and coastal regions, continuous maritime surveillance, as well as search and rescue missions, for the U.S. Navy, and to complement the Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. Triton builds on elements of the Global Hawk UAS while incorporating reinforcements to the air frame and wing, along with de-icing and lightning protection systems. These capabilities allow the aircraft to descend through cloud layers to gain a closer view of ships and other targets at sea when needed. The current sensor suites allow ships to be tracked over time by gathering information on their speed, location, and classification.

DETAILS: Provides persistent maritime ISR 24 hours/7 days per week with 80% Effective Time on Station (ETOS) || AN/ZPY-3 Multi-Function Active Sensor (MFAS) with active electronically scanned array || Land-based air vehicle and sensor command and control || 51,000-hour airframe life || Due regard radar for safe separation || Commercial off-the-shelf open architecture mission control system || Net-ready interoperability solution (systems working together) || Communications bandwidth management || Dual redundant flight controls and surfaces || Afloat Level II payload sensor data via line-of-sight.

SPECIFICATIONS: Crew (0) || Length: 47.6 ft in (14.5 m) || Wingspan: 130.9 ft in (39.9 m) || Height: 15.3 ft in (4.6 m) || Gross weight: 32,250 lb (14,630 kg) || Powerplant: (1) Rolls-Royce AE 3007 turbofan, 6,495-8,917 lbf (28.9-39.7 kN).

PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed: 357 mph (575 km/h) || Endurance: 24 hours || Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,288 m)

SOURCE: [SCO] Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org