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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
💲 ≈ $180,000,000 — Publicly cited program flyaway unit cost estimate
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.)
$450M – $630M
Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~20 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.
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 Stronger than 86% of UAVs
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 574 km/h Top 6% of UAVs
- 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 Top 3% of UAVs
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 16,800 m Top 5% of UAVs
- Endurance
Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms — higher means longer persistent coverage.
- 24 h Stronger than 68% of UAVs
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.
- $180,000,000 Bottom 3% of UAVs
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 21 Bottom 8% of UAVs
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 2 Stronger than 33% of UAVs
Specifications compiled from public Northrop Grumman and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Turkish Aerospace Industries ANKA-S 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 180,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
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