The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman [NOC] a $304 million modification on Tuesday to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive contract to procure three low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 2 MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The Triton is set to be the Navy’s unmanned maritime surveillance aircraft.

MQ-4C Triton during test flights in California. Photo: Northrop Grumman
MQ-4C Triton during test flights in California. Photo: Northrop Grumman

The modification also provides for one main operation control station, one forward operation control station, trade studies, and tooling, the Navy said.

The company noted this is the next build of aircraft and ground stations that will deliver the surveillance capability for the Navy.

“Northrop Grumman is on track to deliver the first two fleet aircraft to Naval Air Station Point Mugu, CA with a baseline sensor package in the September time frame (LRIP 1),” Tom Twomey, senior manager of business development of the Triton Program at the company, said in a statement to Defense Daily. “After undergoing fleet integration testing at Point Mugu, these aircraft will deploy to Guam for early operational capability, giving the U.S. Navy an unblinking eye in the Pacific region.”

The full $304 million modification was obligated at award time in fiscal 2016 and 2017 Navy aircraft procurement funds, which are set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Most of the work will be performed in San Diego, Calif. (42.9 percent); Red Oak, Texas (11.3 percent); Baltimore, Md. (11.3 percent); Salt Lake City, Utah (8.7 percent); and smaller percentages in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, as well as various locations within the continental U.S. (9.1 percent).

The work is expected to be finished in April 2021. The contracting activity is the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Md.