US Navy awards first production contracts for MQ-4C Triton

Several days after the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) was cleared for low-rate initial production, the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command awarded Northrop Grumman two contracts to produce the aircraft.

The first contract, valued at $255.5 million, will see Northrop Grumman manufacture three MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft, one main operation control station and one forward operation control station, training courseware, and tooling.

A second, $94.9 million contract, was awarded for interim spares in support of the MQ-4C Triton system’s initial deployment. Northrop Grumman is expected to complete work on both contracts by August 20.

The MQ-4C Triton will be a forward- deployed, land-based, autonomously operated system that provides intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) within a range of 2,000 nautical miles using a multi-sensor mission payload including maritime radar, Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Electronic Support Measures (ESM), Automatic Identification System (AIS) and basic communications relay.