TheTechno Optimist.

B-21 RaiderNorthrop Grumman—Ground broken on a new 1 million sq ft B-21 final assembly line in PalmdaleMQ-4C TritonNorthrop Grumman—Navy logs Class A mishap after an MQ-4C Triton is lost near the Persian GulfB-21 RaiderNorthrop Grumman—Air Force and Northrop agree to raise B-21 production capacity by 25% using $4.5B of 2025 fundingMission Extension Vehicles / Mission Robotic VehicleNorthrop Grumman—Northrop Grumman launches Mission Robotic Vehicle for commercial satellite servicing in geosynchronous orbitMQ-4C TritonNorthrop Grumman—Denmark, Finland, Germany and Norway announce plan to buy up to five MQ-4C Tritons for NATOSolid rocket motor production rampNorthrop Grumman—Navy picks Northrop Grumman to develop a 21-inch second-stage rocket motor, $94.3MMQ-4C TritonNorthrop Grumman—Northrop gets a $66M order to retrofit fielded US and Australian TritonsYFQ-48A TalonNorthrop Grumman—USAF designates Northrop Grumman's Project Talon as YFQ-48A, a strong contender for Collaborative Combat Aircraft Increment 2Solid rocket motor production rampNorthrop Grumman—Northrop opens Propulsion Innovation Center in Elkton, Maryland, part of a $100M expansionNorthrop Grumman—Air Force and Northrop Grumman break ground on B-21 production facility in PalmdaleSolid rocket motor production rampNorthrop Grumman—Northrop signs $3B in frameworks to add PAC-3 MSE motors and boost THAAD parts output

MQ-4C Triton

by Northrop GrummanUS

Keep a constant, uncrewed watch over vast stretches of ocean: aircraft flying 24-hour-plus shifts track ships across millions of square nautical miles, freeing crewed patrol planes for other work.

DeployStage 4 of 5

In service with the US Navy and Australia; one lost April 2026; no new US buys requested for FY27.

Updated Oct 2026Checked 11 Oct0 updates this week

Milestones

Next · Fleet retrofit: 17 US and 16 Australian engineering changes
  1. First flight, Palmdale, California22 May 2013Complete.
  2. Joins the Navy fleet2018Complete.
  3. First deployment: two aircraft to Guam26 Jan 2020Complete.
  4. Buy cut from 68 to 27 aircraft, three bases instead of fiveMay 2023Complete.
  5. Initial operational capability with squadron VUP-19Sep 2023+93 mooriginally Dec 2015Complete.
  6. First deployment to Europe (Sigonella, Sicily)Mar 2024Complete.
  7. First RAAF Triton arrives in Australia16 Jun 2024Complete.
  8. Fleet retrofit: 17 US and 16 Australian engineering changesTarget Jun 2030Current milestone.
  9. Australia's fourth Triton deliveredTarget 2028Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Upcoming

  1. 2028Australia's fourth Triton delivered (next)
  2. Jun 2030Fleet retrofit: 17 US and 16 Australian engineering changes
Primer