Northrop Grumman Corporation and the US Navy have successfully completed the first major milestone of the Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) flight test programme, clearing the aircraft to fly at various altitudes, speeds and weights.

During the test programme, which is known as initial envelope expansion, the Northrop Grumman/Navy test team validated more than 568 test points. The flights took place at the company’s manufacturing facility in Palmdale, California.

Once both Triton test aircraft reach Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, the test team will install and flight test the aircrafts’ sensor suite to validate the capabilities of each payload.

Triton carries a variety of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensor payloads that allow military commanders to gather high-resolution imagery, use radar to detect targets, and provide airborne communications and information-sharing capabilities to military units across long distances.

Triton carries a variety of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensor payloads that allow military commanders to gather high-resolution imagery, use radar to detect targets, and provide airborne communications and information-sharing capabilities to military units across long distances.