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United States Northrop Grumman
MQ-4C Triton
A high-altitude long-endurance maritime surveillance drone derived from the RQ-4 Global Hawk, built for the US Navy to provide persistent wide-area ocean surveillance complementing the P-8 Poseidon. Also acquired by Australia.
In service since 2013 · 2 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
575
km/h
15,186
km range
16,800
m ceiling
💲 ≈ $300,000,000, Corrected upward: unit cost grew sharply after the Navy cut the planned buy from 70 to 27 aircraft. Program data reported in 2025 put the average procurement unit cost at $513 million in fiscal 2024 dollars, up from an original $286 million baseline, with the final production lot estimated near $618 million. Flyaway cost alone was listed at $187 million in the fiscal 2024 budget.
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Limited · 2 operators
In service since 2013. Status: active · ~21 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
$750M – $1.1B
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost, operating & support dominate over ~20 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price. How we estimate this →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 575 km/h |
|---|---|
| Cruise speed Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station. | 574 km/h |
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 15,186 km |
| Service ceiling Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon. | 16,800 m |
| Endurance Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms, higher means longer persistent coverage. | 24 h |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 14.5 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan Wingtip-to-wingtip span. | 39.9 m |
| Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew. | 6,781 kg |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 14,628 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 0 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | Rolls-Royce AE 3007H turbofan |
|---|---|
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Turbofan |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | AN/ZPY-3 multi-function active sensor radar, Electro-optical/infrared sensor, ESM suite |
|---|---|
| Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement. | LOS datalink, SATCOM |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Unit cost Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper. | $300,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 21 |
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 2 |
Specifications compiled from public Northrop Grumman and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
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MQ-4C Triton vs
Frequently asked questions
What is the top speed of the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton? +
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton has a maximum speed of 575 km/h.
What is the range of the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton? +
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton has a maximum range of 15,186 km.
How much does the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton weigh? +
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton has a combat weight of 14,628 kg.
How many crew does the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton require? +
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton requires a crew of 0.
What engine does the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton use? +
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton is powered by the Rolls-Royce AE 3007H turbofan.
What is the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton used for? +
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton is a uav / drone typically used for isr.
How many countries operate the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton? +
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton is operated by 2 countries.
How much does the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton cost? +
The Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton has an approximate unit cost of 300,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration, treat this as directional.
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