Northrop Grumman-built Navy Triton unmanned aircraft achieves historic first flight, begins testing

PALMDALE, Calif., 22 May 2013. The MQ-4C Triton unmanned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft platform, operated by Northrop Grumman and U.S. Navy personnel on the ground in Palmdale, Calif., achieved its first flight.

The 80-minute flight in restricted airspace marks the start of tests intended to validate the Northrop Grumman-built system for future fleet operations. During its first flight, the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) reached up to 20,000 feet in altitude.

"This flight represents a significant milestone for the Triton team," recognizes Rear Adm. Mat Winter, who leads the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons at Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. "The work they have done and will continue to do is critical to the future of naval aviation, particularly to our maritime patrol and reconnaissance community."

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