Navy's MQ-4C Triton UAS completes flight test with MFAS radar
NewsJune 01, 2015
NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. Over the Patuxent River air space, the Navy’s MQ-4C Triton UAS completed its inaugural flight with the new search radar.
The Multi-Function Active Sensor (MFAS) search radar is expected to enhance maritime awareness by providing a 360-degree view to the MQ-4C of an area while also providing weather coverage to help detect, classify, track, and identify points of interest.
During the exercise the MFAS was operating on the Maritime Surface Surveillance (MSS) mode, which provides continuous watch over a broad area.
"Our primary objective was to test this new radar, but we also looked at how the aircraft performed as well as testing additional data links," said Lt. Cmdr. Glenn Rioux, government flight test director and senior Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20 representative supporting the Triton integrated test team. "This was a successful flight on many levels. We are still reviewing the data and actively planning our next text event."
The MQ-4C Triton will also carry the Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor, which provides imagery and full-motion video of potential threats; an electronic support measures package to help identity and geo-locate radar threat signals; and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) that detects and tracks vessels equipped with AIS responders.
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