US deploys unmanned aircraft to Guam to strengthen surveillance of China, North Korea
This photo from the U.S. 7th fleet website shows an MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) landing at Andersen Air Force Base for deployment as part of an early operational capability, Sunday (local time). Yonhap
By Jung Da-min
The U.S. Navy has deployed its first MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) to its Guam military bases, according to the U.S. 7th fleet headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan. It said two of the aircraft arrived at the Andersen Air Force Base, Sunday (local time). This is the first time the UASs have been assigned to the command of U.S. 7th fleet, which military watchers see as a move to strengthen its information power in the Western Pacific and, in particular, China and North Korea.
According to the fleet, the U.S. Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP)-19, the country's first Triton UAS squadron, will operate and maintain two of the aircraft to improve its early operational, high-altitude, and long-endurance system capabilities in the maritime domain. The U.S. Commander Task Force (CTF) 72, the U.S. Navy's maritime patrol aircraft wing located at Misawa Air Base in Japan, will be leading the patrol, reconnaissance and surveillance forces in the 7th Fleet, the fleet said.
“The introduction of MQ-4C Triton to the Seventh Fleet area of operations expands the reach of the U.S. Navy's maritime patrol and reconnaissance force in the Western Pacific,” said Capt. Matt Rutherford, commander of CTF-72.
The fleet said it will operate four air vehicles including the MQ-4C Triton, anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8 Poseidon and P-3 Orion and EP-3, the signals reconnaissance version of P-3 Orion, for the fleet's initial operational capability to support 24/7 operations.
“Coupling the capabilities of the MQ-4C with the proven performance of P-8, P-3 and EP-3 will enable improved maritime domain awareness in support of regional and national security objectives,” Capt. Rutherford said.
The MQ-4C, in particular, will conduct “intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions that will complement the P-8A Poseidon and will bring increased persistence, capability and capacity through its multi-sensor mission payload,” read the fleet's statement.
As a remodeled version of U.S. aerospace giant Northrop Grumman's RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude remotely-piloted surveillance aircraft, the MQ-4C is equipped with long-range electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors like the RQ-4, providing imagery intelligence of potential threats. According to the Northrop Grumman, the MQ-4C can fly over 24 hours at a time, at altitudes higher than 10 miles, with an operational range of 8,200 miles. With its autonomous high-altitude long-endurance mission capabilities, the aircraft supports P-8 Poseidon's anti-submarine missions.
Shin Jong-woo, a senior researcher at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said the initial deployment of the MQ-4C to Guam shows that the U.S. wants to strengthen its intelligence capability of the fleet in the Pacific region.
“The capabilities of MQ-4C and Global Hawk are almost same. What matters is that the U.S. has deployed the MQ-4C aircraft to Guam for the first time,” Shin said. He said this could indicate that the U.S. wants to strengthen its surveillance over maritime activities of China and North Korea.
The forward-deployment of MA-4C to Guam came amid the stalemated denuclearization negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea. Meanwhile, South Korea has also received its first RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk aircraft at the end of December last year, among the four it has purchased from the U.S. The deployment of the spy aircraft is expected to strengthen South Korea's surveillance capabilities on the peninsula.