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Australia plans to procure more P-8 Poseidon MPA than planned, reducing MQ-4C Triton UAS order

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Naval Forces News - Australia
 
 
 
Australia plans to procure more P-8 Poseidon MPA than planned, reducing MQ-4C Triton UAS order
 

According to the head of the Royal Australian Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, Australia is currently considering an increase in the number of P-8 Poseidon it plans to procure which would reduce the number of MQ-4C Triton drone it originally planned to purchase.

The US Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8As, which are based on the Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 platform. The versatile multi-mission aircraft provides broad long-range maritime patrol capabilities -- anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance -- and was intended to replace the US Navy P-3 fleet. The P-8 has also been chosen by the Indian navy.
     
According to the head of the Royal Australian Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, Australia is currently considering an increase in the number of P-8 Poseidon it plans to procure which would reduce the number of MQ-4C Triton drone it originally planned to purchase.
A P-8A Poseidon conducts a weapons test with the Harpoon. After an extensive testing period, the P-8A program passes Initial Operational Test and Evaluation and is found “operationally effective, operationally suitable, and ready for fleet introduction.” (U.S. Navy photo)
     
The Northrop Grumman's United States Navy MQ-4C Triton Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) program provides persistent maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) data collection and dissemination capability to the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force (MPRF). The MQ-4C Triton is a multi-mission system to support strike, signals intelligence, and communications relay.

It will be a key component of the US Navy's Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force family of systems.

As an adjunct to the manned P-8A Poseidon, the MQ-4C Triton will be a major part of the military's surveillance strategy for the Asia and Pacific regions. The Triton will fly missions for 24 hours at altitudes greater than 10 miles, allowing the system to monitor 2,000 nautical miles of ocean and littoral areas at a time.
     
According to the head of the Royal Australian Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, Australia is currently considering an increase in the number of P-8 Poseidon it plans to procure which would reduce the number of MQ-4C Triton drone it originally planned to purchase.
Link to MQ-4C Triton datasheet
(Picture: Northrop Grumman Corp.)