By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization
Hunting enemy ships and submarines, transmitting target data to surface warships and fighter jets and networking or transmitting targeting data across domains in real time are a few of the operations now being performed by the Navy’s maritime-specific Triton drone.
The Triton has been flying for several years, adding particular value in places such as the Pacific theater as it is specifically engineered to function in a maritime environment. It can change altitude quickly and easy, operate maritime-specific sensing and targeting technology, track moving targets on the ocean, sense through weather obscurants and use special “de-icing” systems to ensure functionality in a wide range of maritime environments. The Triton uses “Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar,” an imaging technology which develops rendering or two-dimensional images of high-value targets by tracking “movement” at sea.
Functioning as a maritime variant of its well-known Global Hawk drone, the Triton has for years been upgraded with longer-range, high-resolution sensing, data analysis and transmission to enable improved targeting, computing, surveillance and “multi-intelligence” reconnaissance.
Now, working with Triton-maker Northrop Grumman, the US Navy has declared “initial operating capability” for its upgraded MQ-4C Triton equipped with a new generation of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting capabilities (ISR&T).
The Navy has for years been clear that the Triton is not an armed platform, however integrating a series of upgraded, next-generation targeting technology greatly improves the platform’s ability to support high-speed attack missions across multiple domains and vast distances. Given this, it does not seem beyond the realm of the possible for the Navy to at some point arm the Triton with Hellfire missiles, Maverick Rockets, Hydra 70s or even drop glide bombs. Advanced targeting and possible weaponization of the Triton would be greatly improved with the integration of new computing and command and control technology, as AI-enabled algorithms could integrate, organize and analyze incoming pools of sensor data to expedite targeting.
The technological enhancements to Triton would appear to indicate a strong Navy resolve to add more Triton’s in the future and sustain the platform for decades. This may reflect upon a growing realization that, despite being larger and “less-stealthy” per say, a Triton drone can draw upon evolving technologies and specific attributes to massively enhance its operational impact and greatly strengthen its survivability should it be needed against a technologically advanced great power adversary.
Advancements with sensor range and image fidelity, for instance, can now enable medium-sized and larger drones to operate with massively improved imaging precision, something which makes it possible for a Triton to effectively perform missions at much higher altitudes and therefore less detectable to enemy fire. Also, command and control upgrades, such as those now being focused upon by the Navy, can increase secure networking capacity for the drone such that it can operate in a surface-air kind of multi-domain capacity and quickly exchange time-sensitive data with other drones, surface ships and even fighter jets and bombers.
Many of these developments seem to indicate that larger, less-stealthy drones like the Triton, while perhaps initially thought of as primarily suited for an uncontested environment, are being adapted, upgraded and improved to function in a dangerous, contested, high-end combat scenario. The Navy is clear to avoid saying the Triton will be an armed drone, however the rapid integration of new targeting technology may open avenues in that direction. While the Triton already does substantial targeting missions, newer innovations are enhancing its capacity to track targets, relay information and even attack. It certainly does seem clear that, given command and control, targeting and ISR technical advances, a drone like the Triton may be positioned to add unique value to future warfare in ways that might not have been anticipated.
Clearly the intent here seems to be to improve the combat mission envelope for the Navy Triton by, among other things, enhancing its ability to track and instantly transmit target details to “shooters” or “effectors” in position to strike. The Triton already performs extensive long-range surveillance missions, yet newer targeting efforts appear to potentially take the speed, efficiency, processing power and command and control targeting functionality to a new level, perhaps with a specific mind to more fully evolving the Triton as a major warfare platform.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – the Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a Highly Qualified Expert with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
