Printed from https://fiscalreceipts.com/program/0305220N/ — built September 26, 2026. Every figure is citation-backed; see the page online for per-number provenance.
MQ-4C Triton
Watch this program
Budget figures
FY2026 award data is a partial year — USAspending reports awards on a rolling basis, and this corpus runs through 2026-09-04. why partial FY2026 data? →
Budget trajectory
| Fiscal year | Amount |
|---|---|
| FY24 | $12.1M |
| FY25 | $14.4M |
| FY26 | $14.4M |
All series figures: R-1 TOA · PB2026
Decade view
P-1/R-1 workbook TOA basis, shown compact in $B/$M (the workbook records USD thousands); each figure cites its own President's Budget edition
The vertical scale does not start at zero: the baseline sits just below this program’s smallest year, so a low point on this line is not a small amount. Read the shape for direction and the grid below for the figures.
● actuals (line) · ○ enacted · ◇ request — gaps are editions the program is absent from, never interpolated.
| Series | FY15 | FY16 | FY17 | FY18 | FY19 | FY20 | FY21 | FY22 | FY23 | FY24 | FY25 | FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actuals | $419.2M | $237.1M | $113.6M | $94.1M | $13.4M | $11.8M | $11.1M | $13.0M | $13.9M | $12.1M | ||
| Enacted | $227.1M | $111.7M | $84.1M | $14.4M | $11.8M | $11.1M | $13.0M | $13.9M | $12.1M | $14.4M | ||
| Request | $111.7M | $84.1M | $14.4M | $11.8M | $11.1M | $13.0M | $13.9M | $12.1M | $14.4M | $14.4M |
blank = series not published for this year; – = absent from that edition.
Asked vs spent: the PB2018 book requested $84.1M for FY2018; the PB2020 book reported $94.1M as actual total obligation authority — $10.0M above the request. 94.1 − 84.1 = 10.0 USD millions — the compact figures above are rounded for reading.
Program lineage
No predecessor/successor lineage was recorded for this program element — no FY-to-FY transfer into or out of this line was stated in the ingested J-books, and none was inferred from the program structure.
Description
Mission — MQ-4C Triton
The MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Air System (UAS) is a high altitude-long endurance UAS designed to provide Fleet and combatant commanders with persistent maritime Intelligence, Surveillance Reconnaissance and Targeting (ISR&T) of nearly all the world's high-density sea-lanes, littorals, and areas of national interest. The Triton air vehicle, mission control system, specialized sensors, and communications suite play a significant role in achieving the Navy's strategic vision for the 21st century. Triton provides persistent ISR&T and unparalleled situational awareness of the maritime battle space to the supported combatant commander and fleet commander. Triton provides the Warfighter with unprecedented levels of battlespace awareness to synchronize actions necessary to maintain maritime Full Spectrum Superiority. Teamed with its manned-capability counterpart, the P-8A Poseidon, Triton is a key component of the Navy's maritime domain awareness family of systems. MQ-4C Triton leverages Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force manpower, training and maintenance efficiencies. Triton Early Operational Capability (EOC) was successfully deployed in 2020 to provide early fleet integration risk reduction. It successfully prepared the fleet for fielding Initial Operational Capability (IOC) and concluded in 2022. In August of 2023 Triton fielded the Increment 1 Multi-Intelligence (Multi-INT) IOC on schedule, successfully meeting the 2011 National Defense Authorization (NDAA) requirements. This enabled the Navy's Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (MISR-T) transition plan and initiated EP-3 Aries sundown. The Increment 1 Multi-INT capability provides Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Counter Electronic Attack (CEA) upgrades, and data dissemination across multiple classification domains. Triton initiated Increment 2 development in FY 2023. Increment 2 will provide advanced radar modes inclusive of Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI), enhanced Electro-Optic/Infrared (EO/IR) detection in support of Geographic Intelligence (GEOINT) for increased maritime domain awareness, High Gain Aperture (HGA) for improved SIGINT, communications, navigation, and networks resiliency in denied environments, Multi-UA Command and Control (C2) for increase on station time, and Sense and Avoid (SAA) traffic and weather capability for increased mission availability and airspace integration. Increment 2 development is also addressing required Diminishing Manufacturing Source (DMS) and cyber security updates. Project Unit 4020: MQ-4C Triton Baseline funding supported developmental efforts from the inception of the program and continues to fund air vehicle Full Scale Fatigue Testing (FSFT), Effects of Defects (EoD) test efforts and incorporation of stress analysis to fully verify and validate fatigue and damage tolerance requirements of the Performance Based System Specification (PBSS). Fatigue testing results are required to certify the airframe to its current estimated designed service life of 51,000 flight hours/2,029 landings. The duration of fatigue testing is paced by the cycling rate limit of the test fixture for the main wing/fuselage/tail test article, as well as time to perform teardown activities and inspect for cracks. Baseline funding also includes developmental efforts that improve the air vehicle reliability, availability, maintainability, and performance. JUSTIFICATION FOR BUDGET ACTIVITY: The FY 2026 funding is provided for System Demonstration Test Article (SDTA) vehicles and Fatigue Testing to support post-test teardown, inspections and reporting for portions of the full-scale test efforts. Additionally, the funding supports the execution of the Effects of Defects testing to retire limitations imposed by non-blueprint product, and various air vehicle reliability, availability, maintainability, and performance improvements. This program is funded under OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT because it includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.
Mission — MQ-4C TRITON
The MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Air System (UAS) is a high altitude-long endurance UAS designed to provide Fleet and combatant commanders with persistent maritime Intelligence, Surveillance Reconnaissance and Targeting (ISR&T) of nearly all the world's high-density sea-lanes, littorals, and areas of national interest. The Triton air vehicle, mission control system, specialized sensors, and communications suite play a significant role in achieving the Navy's strategic vision for the 21st century. Triton provides persistent ISR&T and unparalleled situational awareness of the maritime battle space to the supported combatant commander and fleet commander. Triton provides the Warfighter with unprecedented levels of battlespace awareness to synchronize actions necessary to maintain maritime full spectrum superiority. Teamed with its manned-capability counterpart, the P-8A Poseidon, Triton is a key component of the Navy's maritime domain awareness family of systems. MQ-4C Triton leverages Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force manpower, training and maintenance efficiencies. Triton Early Operational Capability (EOC) was successfully deployed in 2020 to provide early fleet integration risk reduction. It successfully prepared the fleet for fielding Initial Operational Capability (IOC) and concluded in 2022. In August of 2023 Triton fielded the Increment 1 Multi-Intelligence (Multi-INT) IOC on schedule, successfully meeting the 2011 National Defense Authorization (NDAA) requirements. This enabled the Navy's Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (MISR-T) transition plan and initiated EP-3 Aries sundown. The Increment 1 Multi-INT capability provides Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Counter Electronic Attack (CEA) upgrades, and data dissemination across multiple classification domains. Triton initiated Increment 2 development in FY 2023. Increment 2 will provide advanced radar modes inclusive of Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI), enhanced Electro-Optic/Infrared (EO/IR) detection in support of Geographic Intelligence (GEOINT) for increased maritime domain awareness, High Gain Aperture (HGA) for improved SIGINT, communications, navigation, and networks resiliency in denied environments, Multi-UA Command and Control (C2) for increase on station time, and Sense and Avoid (SAA) traffic and weather capability for increased mission availability and airspace integration. Increment 2 development is also addressing required Diminishing Manufacturing Source (DMS) and cyber security updates. Project Unit 4020: MQ-4C Triton Baseline funding supported developmental efforts from the inception of the program and continues to fund air vehicle Full Scale Fatigue Testing (FSFT), Effects of Defects (EoD) test efforts and incorporation of stress analysis to fully verify and validate fatigue and damage tolerance requirements of the Performance Based System Specification (PBSS). Fatigue testing results are required to certify the airframe to its current estimated designed service life of 51,000 flight hours/2,029 landings. The duration of fatigue testing is paced by the cycling rate limit of the test fixture for the main wing/fuselage/tail test article, as well as time to perform teardown activities and inspect for cracks. Baseline funding also includes developmental efforts that improve the air vehicle reliability, availability, maintainability, and performance.
Justification
Accomplishments & Planned Programs (4)
Product Development
The Prime Contractor is responsible for overall system development and performance, as well as associated management, engineering and logistics activities.
ILS, Support, Studies & Analysis
Integrated Logistics Support, Studies and Analysis.
Test & Evaluation (T&E)
T&E efforts.
Program Management (PM)
PM support and travel.
Budget line items(workbook-cited)
P-1/R-1 workbook Total Obligation Authority basis (USD thousands) · PB2026.
Exhibit R-1
| Account | Org | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy | N | FY24 Actuals | $12.1M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy | N | FY25 Enacted | $14.4M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy | N | FY25 Total | $14.4M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy | N | FY26 Disc. Request | $14.4M |
| Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy | N | FY26 Total | $14.4M |
Budget Details(R-2/P-40 facts)
J-book detail basis (R-2/P-40, USD millions) · PB2026 — a different accounting basis from the P-1/R-1 workbook TOA above; where the two disagree, the reconciliation strip under Budget figures shows both.
Wider than this screen — swipe the table sideways for the remaining fiscal-year columns.
| Project | All Prior Years | FY24 Actuals | FY25 Total | FY26 Base | FY26 Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Element | $3.55B | $12.1M | $14.4M | $14.4M | $14.4M |
| 4020: MQ-4C TRITON | $3.55B | $12.1M | $14.4M | $14.4M | $14.4M |
Follow the dollar
Appropriation → program element → top high-confidence awards → recipient families → congressional districts.
Follow-the-dollar covers 312 of 1,938 programs — only high-confidence budget→award links are shown. why coverage is partial? →
The diagram illustrates the cited table below — amounts shown in the diagram are transaction sums per award (no citation chips); the per-district obligations in the table cite USAspending queries.
| District | Program obligations |
|---|---|
| CA-50 | $481.1M |
Related awards
Award linkage is shown for 32 of 200 profiled companies — high- and medium-confidence USAspending matches, each row labeled; medium is the weaker evidence. why partial award coverage? →
Rows marked medium rest on evidence weaker than a program-level match, and of more than one kind. An account-based row, where the award drew from the same appropriation account as this program, is an association, not evidence that this program paid for the contract. Where the evidence is instead an FPDS acquisition-program tag or a subaward description, the program is established but which of its budget lines paid is not. An announcement link a recorded review did not leave standing is medium too. Only high rows rest on the contract naming this program with a recorded review upholding it and no recorded rejection or refutation applying.
| Recipient | PIID | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | N0001915G0026 | high |
| NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | N0001922F0910 | high |
| NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | N0001924C0005 | high |
| L3 TECHNOLOGIES, INC. | N0042120F1044 | medium |
| NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | N0001908C0023 | medium |
| NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | N0001919F0272 | medium |
Contractor concentration
No concentration index is published for this line. This line's high-confidence links do not clear the floor for a published concentration index — at least 3 awards across 2 contractor families holding positive obligations, with positive net linked dollars. An index below that floor is a fact about the sample, not about the market. Whatever further links this line carries are medium-confidence, and what each medium evidence path does and does not establish is set out in the methodology. Both bases are in the downloadable warehouse.
Lobbying mentions
10 mentions from the Senate LDA disclosure database.
HR 9495 - FY27 Defense Appropriations bill - B-21, Triton, Global Hawk, E-2D HR 8800 - FY27 DOD Authorization bill…
HR 4016/S 2572 - FY26 Defense Appropriations bill - B-21, Triton, Global Hawk, E-2D HR 3838/S 2296 - FY26 DOD…
HR 4016 - FY26 Defense Appropriations bill - B-21, Triton, Global Hawk, E-2D FY26 DOD Authorization bill - GBSD, B-21…
HR 4016/S 2572 - FY26 Defense Appropriations bill - B-21, Triton, Global Hawk, E-2D HR 3838/S 2296 - FY26 DOD…
HR 8774/S. 4921 - FY25 Defense Appropriations bill - B-21, Triton, Global Hawk, E-2D HR 8070/S 4638 - FY25 DOD…
HR 4016/S 2572 - FY26 Defense Appropriations bill - B-21, Triton, Global Hawk, E-2D HR 3838/S 2296 - FY26 DOD…
HR 8774 / S 4921 - FY25 Defense Appropriations bill - B-21, Triton, Global Hawk, E-2D HR 8070 / S 4638 - FY25 DOD…
HR 8774 - FY25 Defense Appropriations bill - B-21, Triton, Global Hawk, E-2D HR 8070/S 4638 - FY25 DOD Authorization…
HR 8774 / S 4921 - FY25 Defense Appropriations bill - B-21, Triton, Global Hawk, E-2D HR 8070 / S 4638 - FY25 DOD…
HR 4365/S 2587 - FY24 Defense Appropriations bill - B-21, Triton, Global Hawk, E-2D HR 2670/S 2226 - FY24 DOD…
Oversight
GAO oversight of this program
GAO assessed MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System (MQ-4C Triton) in its June 2025 Weapon Systems Annual Assessment, as a Navy MDAP program.
“The Navy plans for MQ-4C Triton to provide intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and data collection and dissemination. Each system includes an air vehicle, communications suites, and mission payload, among other components. Two aircraft configurations—Integrated Functional Capabilities (IFC)-3 and IFC-4—make up Increment 1. The Navy is retrofitting the IFC-3 aircraft into the IFC-4 configuration, which adds signals intelligence. It plans to add multiple subsystems to the aircraft in a second increment to enhance effectiveness and survivability. We assessed both increments.”
GAO-25-107569, p. 139 — the assessment page in GAO’s 2025 report
Earlier editions of the same assessment: June 2024 · June 2023
GAO assessed MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System (MQ-4C Triton) in its June 2024 Weapon Systems Annual Assessment, as a Navy MDAP program.
“The Navy plans for MQ-4C to replace the EP-3E Aries aircraft and provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as data collection and dissemination. Each system includes an air vehicle, communications suites, and mission payload, among other components. In 2021, the Navy restructured the program into two increments. The first increment consists of two aircraft configurations—Integrated Functional Capabilities (IFC)-3 and IFC-4, which adds signals intelligence. The Navy is retrofitting the IFC-3 aircraft to the IFC-4 configuration. It plans to further upgrade IFC-4 capabilities in a second increment. We assessed the first increment.”
GAO-24-106831, p. 141 — the assessment page in GAO’s 2024 report
GAO assessed MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System (MQ-4C Triton) in its June 2023 Weapon Systems Annual Assessment, as a Navy MDAP program.
“The Navy plans for its MQ-4C uncrewed aircraft system to replace EP-3 aircraft and provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance as well as data collection and dissemination. Each system includes an air vehicle, communications suites, and mission payload, among other components. The baseline Triton, Integrated Functional Capabilities (IFC)-3, consists of two early operational capability assets. The second version, IFC-4 with signals intelligence, is in development. The Navy plans to develop IFC-4 in progressively capable increments.”
GAO-23-106059, p. 153 — the assessment page in GAO’s 2023 report
GAO assessed the program, not this budget line. MQ-4C Triton is one of the lines that funds it, and GAO’s work above says nothing about this line’s own figures. Which line each GAO item attaches to is a hand-ratified crosswalk — how it was checked.
Department-level designation (not specific to this program)
GAO lists 5 high-risk areas for DOD as a whole. That designation covers the department, not MQ-4C Triton. GAO's program-level work on this line is above. See the DOD oversight record.
Program dossier
No research dossier for this program — dossiers cover 50 of 1,938 programs, the largest fully J-book-detailed lines by FY2026 requested dollars. why no dossier here? →
Primary sources
Open any budget figure for its exact receipt. Verified line items lead with the highlighted government PDF; original spreadsheets download with their budget edition and exhibit in the filename.
Budget totals · TOA sources
FY2026 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J485
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2026_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2017 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J438
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2017_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2018 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J470
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2018_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2019 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J488
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2019_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2020 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J498
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2020_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2021 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J507
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2021_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2022 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J473
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2022_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2023 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J466
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2023_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2024 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J459
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2024_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
FY2025 Department of Defense Budget: RDT&E Programs (R-1) · comptroller.war.gov
Exhibit R-1 · J467
Complete workbook · unchanged saved copy. Saves as PB2025_DoD_R-1_Research-Development-Test-Evaluation.xlsx.
Detailed budget justification
The related TOA spreadsheets above use a different accounting basis from R-2/P-40 detail. Their amounts are not assumed to match these detailed sources.
RDTEN BA1-3 Book · www.secnav.navy.mil