- Published
- By Rebecca Amber
- Staff writer
The ferry flight represents the beginning of the next phase of testing for the program. A joint Navy-Northrop Grumman team will continue initial developmental tests on the capabilities of Triton over the next few years, including integrating and testing a set of sensors on the aircraft this fall.
Over the course of the next several weeks, two additional Tritons, one built for the Navy (SDD-2) and one Northrop-owned demonstration test article, will fly to PAX River for testing. Early Operational Capability is scheduled for 2017.
To date, Northrop Grumman has conducted 15 missions at Edwards AFB with SDD-1 operated from the Northrop facility at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale.
"Edwards AFB plays an integral part in Triton's maturity as it has supported all test operations through Initial Envelope Expansion, which is a prerequisite to ferry the aircraft to PAX River," said Mike Mackey, Northrop Grumman, Triton Unmanned Aerial Systems program manager. "Further test events such as first flights of SDD-2 and DTA [demonstration test article] will be conducted over the next 45 days as we ready these aircraft for ferry flight."
SDD-1 arrived at Edwards in May 2013 to begin testing in the R-2508 and 2515 restricted air space complex. According to Lt. Col. Matt Domsalla, Global Vigilance Combined Test Force director, remotely piloted aircraft are restricted by the Federal Aviation Administration from flying below 18,000 feet without a chase plane. Edward's restricted airspace allows Triton to gain altitude and transition to national airspace above 18,000 feet.
The restricted air space was used to prove that Triton could perform at least a 10-hour flight controlled remotely from Pax River by satellite link. Triton's first three flights at Edwards were used to prove her flying characteristics promoting her from unproven status to experimental and continued into envelope expansion.
"Since it was built here at Palmdale they had to clear it to fly across the country using the Edward's air space and Edward's assets to monitor those test flights," said Domsalla.
Support for testing reached beyond the 412th Test Wing and Navy, to NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center. Due to the nature of testing remotely piloted systems, it was important for the 412th Range Safety Officers to know Triton's exact location at all times. NASA was able to supply tracking systems for additional monitoring during testing.
The MQ-4C Triton will provide the U.S. Navy with persistent maritime domain intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. Triton will disseminate sensor data to fleet units to support the Navy's Expeditionary Strike Group, Carrier Strike Group and the Joint Forces Maritime Component Commander. MQ-4C Triton will provide intelligence preparation of the environment by providing a more continuous source of information to maintain the Common Operational and Tactical Picture of the maritime battle space.
Though Triton is built from the same airframe family as the Global Hawk, the Navy asset will providea persistent maritime ISR using a multi-sensor mission payload (maritime radar, Electro-Optical/Infrared); Electronic Support Measures; Automatic Identification System and basic communications relay. The MQ-4C Triton sensors are based upon components of (or entire systems) already fielded in the DOD inventory.
Because Triton will ascend and descend more quickly than the Air Force variant, it's built with thicker wings and anti-ice on all leading edges of the wings v-tails and engine inlet.
"These are actually very large aircraft," said Domsalla. "This is an aircraft with a wingspan longer than a 737, which is what most people use to fly commercially so this is a very large aircraft we're using to pilot remotely."
According to Roberto Garnica, CTF Test Management Group project manager, Triton will be very interlinked with other Navy systems. In Greek mythology, Triton is a fish-tailed sea god who is the son of Poseidon, the king of the seas.
"Triton shares information with the P-8A Poseidon, which is a submarine tracker, they talk to each other," said Garnica.
According to the Navy, the MQ-4C Triton's ability to perform persistent ISR within a range of 2,000nm allows the P-8A aircraft to focus on their core missions, Anti-Surface Ship Warfare, weapons employment and Multi-Intelligence operations respectively.
While Triton will fly over a maritime environment, it is a land-based operation that will be controlled from PAX River over the next several years.
