Philip Smart | Adelaide
A US Navy MQ-4C Triton UAS has completed its inaugural flight with a new radar, a Multi-Function Active Sensor expected to greatly increase maritime domain awareness.
The radar provides the MQ-4C with a 360-degree view of a large geographic area while providing all-weather coverage to expedite detecting, classifying, tracking and identifying points of interest.
During this initial test event, flying from the US Naval Air Station Patuxent in Maryland, the MFAS exercised its primary operating mode, known as Maritime Surface Surveillance (MSS).
The MSS mode provides continuous watch over a broad area.
Along with the MFAS radar, the MQ-4C will also carry an Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor that will provide still imagery and full-motion video of potential threats; an electronic support measures package to identify and geolocate radar threat signals; and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) that will detect and track vessels equipped with AIS responders.
“This first sensor flight is a huge achievement for the program,” said Sean Burke, Triton program manager.
“Our Navy and Northrop Grumman team has worked extremely hard on this developmental effort, completing more than 40 surrogate flights over the last three years, and we saw the realization of that development work.”