PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. a $66.04 million firm-fixed-price delivery order to retrofit MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft operated by the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The upgrades will bring the two fleets to a common configuration, supporting standardized operations and mission readiness.
The $66,041,453 order, placed by Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River, Maryland, covers recurring engineering retrofit work, materials and spare parts. It includes 17 approved engineering change proposals (ECPs) for U.S. Navy aircraft and 16 for Australian aircraft. The contract announcement did not provide the specific technical details of the individual changes.
The order was issued under basic ordering agreement N0001925G0003, with delivery order N0001927F1026. The procurement was not competitively competed. About $53.61 million comes from the U.S. Navy's fiscal 2026 aircraft procurement funds, while approximately $12.44 million is provided by Australia through the two countries' cooperative defense program.
Most of the work will be performed in California, with 63 percent in Hayward and 31 percent in San Diego, where Northrop Grumman builds the Triton. Additional work will take place in Red Oak and Waco, Texas; Tukwila, Washington; Elyria, Ohio; Irvine, California; and other U.S. locations. The work is scheduled for completion by June 2030.
MQ-4C Triton
The MQ-4C Triton is a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft derived from the U.S. Air Force's RQ-4 Global Hawk and designed for maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It can remain airborne for more than 24 hours, operate above 50,000 feet, and has an approximately 7,400-nautical-mile range. Its sensors include a multi-function active sensor radar and other systems for detecting, tracking and classifying maritime targets.
The U.S. Navy operates the Triton alongside P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. Its ground stations use a five-person crew consisting of an air vehicle operator, tactical coordinator, two mission payload operators and a signals intelligence coordinator.
Australia is currently the only foreign operator of the MQ-4C and has ordered four aircraft. The first arrived at RAAF Base Tindal in June 2024, followed by the second and third in June 2025. The fourth and final aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2028.
The Australian Tritons are operated by No. 9 Squadron, which was re-formed for the Triton mission, and work alongside Australia's P-8A fleet to monitor the country's northern maritime approaches. On September 22, 2026, Australia declared initial operational capability for its MQ-4C Triton capability.
The U.S. Navy's program of record calls for 27 Tritons. More than 20 had been delivered by early 2025, while a second operational squadron was established in November 2025. The U.S. program is working toward full operational capability in fiscal 2031.
The latest retrofit order continues efforts by the United States and Australia to maintain a common configuration across their MQ-4C Triton fleets.
——— End of Article ———
