Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Darren Chester today congratulated the United States Air Force and industry partner Northrop Grumman for a world first in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology.
Mr Chester said that arrival of the aircraft at Avalon last night for the Australian International Airshow, is the first time a military UAV has landed at an Australian civilian airport and the first time the UAV has flown to an International Airshow.
“Unmanned aviation is a future growth area for Defence technology and I am looking forward to seeing the UAV technology at the Australian International Airshow later this week,” Mr Chester said.
“The technology is making major advances for the Australian Defence Force, providing safer and longer term ‘eyes in the sky’ for our troops than traditional manned aircraft.”
The Government is currently purchasing up to 12 P-8A Poseidon aircraft and up to seven MQ-4C Unmanned Aerial Systems to replace the aging AP-3C Orions. The MQ-4C Triton is a maritime surveillance variant of the Global Hawk, currently under development by the United States Navy.
