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May 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has contracted with Rolls-Royce for turbofan engines for the MQ-4C Triton unmanned maritime surveillance aircraft. The deal announced by the Department of Defense is valued at more than $25.9 million under the terms of a firm-fixed price contract, which is a modification to a previous Pentagon award.
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The agreement between the Navy and Rolls-Royce enables the British company to provide turbofan engines for the Northrop Grumman-manufactured MQ-4C Triton unmanned maritime surveillance aircraft.
The MQ-4C Triton was modeled after the RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle and is designed for long-range, high-endurance surveillance missions over oceans and coastal areas.
The Triton has a flight range of more than 9,000 miles and a 24-hour operational period. Northrop Grumman delivered the first Triton to the Navy in November 2017, according to previous UPI reporting.
Work on the contract will occur in Indiana and is expected to be complete in December 2021.
No funds will be obligated to Rolls-Royce at time of the award. As individual orders are received, funds will be allocated from the Navy's fiscal 2018 through 2021 aircraft procurement funds or Navy working capital funds, the Pentagon said.
