Northrop Grumman Corporation and Andøya Space have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see them jointly offer the MQ-4C Triton - developed by Northrop Grumman on behalf of the US Navy and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) - to the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF).
Norway's Long Term Defence Plan, released on 5 April 2024, says that the country will buy "long-range drones with sensors and systems for monitoring maritime areas of interest in the north," in collaboration with allies.
"As Norway considers its options for safeguarding its interests in the High North, Northrop Grumman and Andøya Space are ready to shape the future of advanced autonomous systems by leveraging the MQ-4C Triton to meet the needs of today and the future," said Jane Bishop, vice president and general manager, global surveillance, Northrop Grumman.
Media in Norway have reported Norway is already in discussions with the US Navy about the MQ-4C Triton to fulfil that requirement, though ADM has been unable to independently verify those claims.
"As Norway considers its options, Northrop Grumman is continuing to forge partnerships with Norwegian industry in support of Norway’s Long-Term Defence Plan," Rho Cauley, director of the Triton program at Northrop Grumman said in a statement to ADM.
"The MQ-4C Triton is a critical platform that can provide Norway with superior and discriminating capabilities to meet Norway’s mission."
If Norway proceeds with a Triton purchase, it could potentially open the door to Australia buying more Tritons in the future, assuming that any order from Norway would keep the Triton production line open for longer than currently planned, allowing the RAAF to secure funding for more aircraft.
In 2022 the US Navy announced that it would cut its order of Triton from 70 airframes to just 27, allowing it to maintain three orbits instead of the five originally planned. The service plans to buy its last aircraft in the 2024 US fiscal year, which ends in September 2024.
While it is possible that this may change as President Biden's budget request for the 2025 fiscal year moves through Congress, assuming it does not, then the US will have bought its last aircraft by September.
The MQ-4C Triton reached Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in September 2023 and has since been deployed to Guam and the Mediterranean, with a deployment to Japan forthcoming.
Australia's first Triton took flight in November last year and arrived at RAAF Tindal in June.