US Navy MQ-4C Triton

MQ-4C Triton is the US Navy's high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft programme for persistent maritime surveillance, managed by NAVAIR's Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems programme office (PMA-262) with Northrop Grumman as prime contractor. The Navy awarded the development contract in April 2008, and the aircraft first flew in May 2013. The Navy declared initial operational capability in August 2023 and plans 27 aircraft, of which 20 had been delivered by March 2025. A 2025 DoD Inspector General audit found that this declaration came before initial operational test and evaluation because development test deficiencies remained open.