April 22, 2021

1st RAAF Triton may initially be based on US island of Guam.

Kym Bergmann, editor of Australia's superb Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter (APDR) on
April 21, 2021 reports:

"UPDATED: First RAAF Triton to possibly be based outside Australia"

"At a media briefing in Canberra [Australia's capital] MQ-4C Triton Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV) [photo below] prime contractor Northrop Grumman explained that despite the delay to the delivery of the first Triton to the RAAF there may still be opportunities for the first vehicle to demonstrate interoperability with the USN in the region without impacting the schedule. The initial RAAF Triton is expected to be completed in Palmdale, California, in 2023 – but since the infrastructure work at [RAAF Base] Edinburgh will not finish until 2024, the question arises: where to situate it in the meantime.  Northrop Grumman made it clear that they cannot comment on matters of location – those are decisions entirely for the RAAF and USN to make.

Leaving a massively capable surveillance platform sitting on the ground in the US would seem to be a huge waste – and while it can fly for a long time it cannot remain aloft for a full year until its Australian home is ready.  APDR observes that the USN currently has two Tritons operating from Guam out of a total of six that will eventually be deployed to constitute a complete a flight, or more correctly “Orbit” of the aircraft.  Currently, seven Tritons are awaiting transfer to the USN – and some might go to Guam or be deployed to other parts of the world, depending on operational priorities...." 

SEE REST OF GREAT APDR ARTICLE

MQ-4C Triton RPVs (Photo coutesy USAF and Northrop Grumman in Australia)
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