At a media briefing in Canberra, MQ-4C Triton RPV prime contractor Northrop Grumman explained that despite the delay to the delivery of the first Triton to the RAAF there may still be opportunities for the first vehicle to demonstrate interoperability with the USN in the region without impacting the schedule. The initial RAAF Triton is expected to be completed in Palmdale, California, in 2023 – but since the infrastructure work at Edinburgh will not finish until 2024, the question arises: where to situate it in the meantime. Northrop Grumman made it clear that they cannot comment on matters of location – those are decisions entirely for the RAAF and USN to make.
Leaving a massively capable surveillance platform sitting on the ground in the US would seem to be a huge waste – and while it can fly for a long time it cannot remain aloft for a full year until its Australian home is ready. APDR observes that the USN currently has two Tritons operating from Guam out of a total of six that will eventually be deployed to constitute a complete a flight, or more correctly “Orbit” of the aircraft. Currently, seven Tritons are awaiting transfer to the USN – and some might go to Guam or be deployed to other parts of the world, depending on operational priorities.
Putting all of this together, in the view of APDR one logical place for the first RAAF Triton to be based is on Guam until Edinburgh is ready to receive it. This could make sense for several reasons, including that the development of Triton is a cooperative USN-RAAF undertaking and that the two services already work together extremely closely. With its advanced sensor suite of radar, EO, and ESM, flying at 40,000ft and with endurance of more than 30 hours, these jet powered aircraft are transformational, networked, surveillance assets.
Asked about the facilities and why more than a large shed was required – an MQ-4C has the wingspan of a 737 – Northrop Grumman Australia Chief Executive, Chris Deeble, explained:
“We are watching this region change dramatically – and we are going to be ready to have Triton meet Australian needs. In all of my engagement with Government and senior Defence representatives the strategic worth of Triton has never been in doubt. What it can contribute to situational awareness from the South China Sea, through to the Indian and Pacific Oceans and even the Antarctic is well understood.
“The facility itself at 92 Wing at RAAF Edinburgh is a large unpopulated building – but to actually run the aircraft you need sections with various levels of classification. You are not talking about a normal room in a hangar – you are talking about a room that needs to be Tempest rated and with that you need a number of secure areas.
“Another complication with autonomous systems is the nature of communications with them – and the robustness and resilience needed for them to operate. You are dealing with elements of satellite comms; you have to make certain that control of the aircraft is assured and so on. There is a lot more work that needs to be done in advance that would not necessarily apply to a crewed aircraft.
“As well as Edinburgh, facilities also have to be available at RAAF Tindal, which will be the MQ-4C forward operating base. The aircraft need to be properly protected in what can be an extremely environmentally harsh location. To get the full performance benefit from Triton, the infrastructure has to match.”
If APDR is correct, flying from Guam would also allow Australian operators to work hand-in-glove with their USN counterparts and gain from their experience. The first two of their Tritons arrived in January 2020 – and since that time have been making a major contribution to security in North Asia. The sooner that Australia can add to that effort, the better.
The construction of the facilities in Australia is the responsibility of the Commonwealth.
(This replaces an earlier version of the article that was open to the interpretation that Northrop Grumman was the source of the information that the first RAAF MQ-4C might possibly be based on Guam. The matter of basing is entirely the author’s speculation.)
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