The advent of new networking connectivity and next-generation command and control systems are quickly changing the operational landscape for drones in position to massively shorten sensor-to-shooter time, reduce latency and expedite multi-domain targeting and attack.
This prospect, which is not only gaining traction but surging into new levels of mission functionality, is expanding the tactical scope for drone surveillance missions, enabling some of the larger unmanned platforms to accelerate a transition from counterterrorism and counterpiracy to great power warfare preparations.
Larger, less stealthy yet highly impactful platforms such as the Air Force Global Hawk and Navy Triton have for several years now been upgraded as part of a decided transition to major nation-state conflict contingencies. They are high-altitude systems with upgraded, long-range high fidelity sensing, additional fuel capacity for endurance and added range and extended dwell time over critical mission areas.
Now the Navy and Northrop Grumman are taking a new series of steps to prepare the maritime-focused Triton drone with new targeting and collision avoidance technology. The largest inspiration for this appears to be grounded in the Pentagon’s growing success in networking the force for multi-domain, cross-platform target-identification and data sharing. Connecting “any sensor to any shooter,” at the “speed of relevance” is how Air Force European Commander Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian recently described it to The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace studies.
This kind of effort to massively expedite Triton-specific sensor-to-shooter analysis was mentioned by Navy Capt. Dan Mackin, Triton program manager, in a news report from Janes.
“Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation is providing Triton-centric sensor-to-shooter analysis in support of Distributed Maritime Operation (DMO) concepts,” Captain Dan Mackin, USN Triton programme manager, said in the Janes story. “Triton is not armed. Triton’s platform and surveillance posture provide a unique sensor capability to locate and target enemy combatants and relay targeting data for prosecution.”
Clearly the intent here is to improve the combat mission envelope for the Navy drone 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 this effort appears to potentially take the speed, efficiency, processing power and command and control targeting functionality to a new level. Also, given the growing ranges possible for air-launched weapons and breakthrough advances in targeting and guidance systems, it certainly seems conceivable that a Triton could someday itself be armed with weapons. However, the Navy has absolutely been very clear that no decision along those lines has been made, and perhaps it is not even part of the current thinking. After all, Capt. Mackin told Janes “Triton is not armed.”
