Northrop Grumman Wins $66 Million MQ-4C Triton Retrofit Order for U.S. Navy and Australia

Northrop Grumman Systems has received a $66 million firm-fixed-price delivery order from Naval Air Systems Command to update fielded MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft systems for the U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force. The company will provide recurring engineering retrofit work, material and spares to incorporate 17 Navy engineering change proposals and 16 Australian proposals. The changes are intended to support fleet standardization and mission readiness. Work is expected to be completed in June 2030.

MQ-4C Triton Retrofit Details

Northrop Grumman will support the incorporation of engineering changes into Triton systems already in service, rather than build new aircraft under this order. The award covers retrofit engineering as well as the material and spares needed for the changes. The government notice identifies separate sets of proposals for the Navy and Australia but does not assign individual changes to particular aircraft or subsystems.

Most of the work will take place in Hayward, California, which accounts for 63% of the effort, and San Diego, California, which accounts for 31%. The remainder will be performed in Red Oak and Waco, Texas; Tukwila, Washington; Elyria, Ohio; Irvine, California; and other locations in the continental United States.

MQ-4C Triton Program Background

Triton is the Navy’s high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft for maritime surveillance and reconnaissance. In July 2025, Navy program officials said aircraft had been delivered to operational orbits supporting the 5th, 6th and 7th Fleets, and that the first aircraft had been delivered to Australia. Updating fielded systems is therefore part of the program’s work across both countries’ fleets.

The Navy’s FY2026 aircraft procurement justification describes a broader Triton modernization effort that includes aircraft and ground-segment retrofits, payload improvements, cybersecurity work and correction of deficiencies. A 2025 Defense Department inspector general audit found that the Navy had declared initial operational capability before completing initial operational test and evaluation, despite unresolved deficiencies. The audit underscores the importance of continued testing and upgrades, though it does not identify the changes covered by this order.

Award and Contractor Background

The delivery order was not competitively procured. It was issued under a Northrop Grumman basic ordering agreement that began in May 2025. Another Triton order under that agreement, valued at up to $83.9 million, covers retrofit kits for aircraft B7 and main operating base MB-2, along with engineering support for those upgrades.

The company has also received earlier Triton retrofit work through a different ordering agreement. An August 2023 Navy award of $83.1 million covered upgrades to aircraft B9 and B10 and operating base MB-6P for the Navy and Australia. A 2024 contract action added $30.7 million for engineering, materials and related changes involving aircraft B5 and B11.

This award was disclosed by the DoW in its daily press release. Additional contract details will be available on HigherGov in approximately 90 days under N0001927F1026 after the contract is formally disclosed by the government.