The first of at least four new large, unmanned surveillance aircraft ordered from the United States is due to arrive in the Northern Territory late on Saturday where it will soon play a key role in monitoring unauthorised maritime arrivals to the north, the ABC reports.
Following months of test flights, the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton — dubbed AUS 1 — flew out of a Californian Naval Air Station on Thursday on a flight via Wake Island before heading to its new home at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Tindal.
Roughly the size of a 737 aircraft, the Triton drones will eventually be piloted remotely by the RAAF from the Edinburgh Air Base outside Adelaide to assist the Australian Border Force with maritime patrols as well as other military surveillance roles.
Last year Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy confirmed the purchase of Australia’s fourth MQ-4C Triton as part of a $1.5 billion boost to RAAF capability, despite the US Navy recently halting production of the expensive unmanned platform.
On Friday radar tracking data confirmed “AUS 1” — flying under the call sign “SCORE47” — had departed from the Point Mugu Naval Air Station and was headed across the Pacific on its delivery flight to Australia.
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