The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), Patuxent River, MD intends to contract on a sole source basis with Northrop Grumman Corporation the installation of an Airborne Collision Avoidance System X (ACAS Xu) on a Navy MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System.
The ACAS X has been developed by the Lincoln Laboratory in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a NextGen-derived replacement for TCAS II.
It is expected that if the hardware and software installation of the ACAS Xu goes ahead as planned the US Navy fleet of 68 Tritons will be equipped with this new detect and avoid system.
Based on the proven Global Hawk UAS, Triton’s autonomous operations are supported by land-based command and control mission planners and sensor operators. Triton will be equipped with a unique and robust mission sensor suite that provides 360-degree coverage on all sensors, providing unprecedented maritime domain awareness for the US Navy. The aircraft can fly over 24 hours at a time, at altitudes higher than 10 miles, with an operational range of 8,200 nautical miles.
(Picture – Northrop Grumman)
