RQ-4 Global Hawk vs MQ-4C Triton Differences Explained
The MQ-4C Triton is the US Navy's maritime-surveillance aircraft, and the RQ-4 Global Hawk is the US Air Force's high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. Both are long-endurance drones from Northrop Grumman, and both carry a published wingspan of 130.9 feet. Northrop Grumman publishes the Triton at above 50,000 feet, with 24-plus hours of endurance and a 7,400-nautical-mile range. The Air Force fact sheet lists the Global Hawk at a 60,000-foot ceiling and a 34.3-hour unrefuelled endurance record set in 2014. At Drone and Defense, we build an RQ-4 Global Hawk vs MQ-4C Triton comparison from each maker's and service's own pages, because the figures for each aircraft sit in different documents. The Air Force plans to retire its last nine Block 40 Global Hawks in fiscal year 2027.
Global Hawk and Triton at a Glance
The RQ-4 Global Hawk and the MQ-4C Triton differ in who flies them and what they watch. The Global Hawk is an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft, and the Triton is a Navy maritime-surveillance aircraft. Northrop Grumman builds both as high-altitude, long-endurance drones.
Northrop Grumman's Triton page gives the Triton an operating altitude above 50,000 feet, 24-plus hours of endurance and a 7,400-nautical-mile range. The Air Force fact sheet gives the Global Hawk a 60,000-foot ceiling, a 12,300-nautical-mile unrefuelled ferry range and a 310-knot cruise speed. A Block 40 Global Hawk set a 34.3-hour unrefuelled endurance record in 2014.
The Air Force lists the Global Hawk's armament as none, and Northrop Grumman's Triton page describes surveillance missions without listing any weapons. The Air Force plans to retire its remaining nine Block 40 Global Hawks in fiscal year 2027. Australia operates 3 of the 4 Tritons it ordered, as of 2026.
Published Specifications Side by Side
The side-by-side figures for the two aircraft come from different publishers, so they are not measured on a common basis. Global Hawk figures come from the Air Force fact sheet, and Triton performance figures come from Northrop Grumman's Triton page. The Triton wingspan comes from the US Navy MQ-4C Triton fact file, because Northrop Grumman's Triton page does not publish it.
The Air Force publishes Global Hawk details that have no Triton counterpart on the Northrop Grumman page. The Global Hawk is 47.6 feet long and 15.3 feet high. It carries up to 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms) of payload, and one F137-RR-100 turbofan rated at 7,600 pounds of thrust powers it.
Northrop Grumman's Triton page publishes no wingspan, length, payload, engine or first-flight date, so payload and engine cannot be compared from these sources. Endurance figures need the same care. The 34.3-hour Global Hawk figure is one record flight, while Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk page states 'greater than 30 hours' and its Triton page states '24-plus hours'.
| Specification | RQ-4 Global Hawk | MQ-4C Triton |
|---|---|---|
| Operator / service | US Air Force | US Navy; Royal Australian Air Force (3 of 4 ordered, as of 2026) |
| Mission | Reconnaissance; Block 30 EO, IR, SAR and SIGINT sensors; Block 40 radar for ground moving target tracking | Maritime ISR, early warning of missile threats, Homeland Defense missions |
| Ceiling | 60,000 ft | Above 50,000 ft (no exact figure on the source page) |
| Endurance | 34.3 hr unrefuelled record (Block 40, 2014); Northrop Grumman page: greater than 30 hr | 24-plus hours |
| Range | 12,300 nmi unrefuelled ferry range | 7,400 nmi |
| Wingspan | 130.9 ft (39.8 m) | 130.9 ft (39.9 m), per US Navy fact file |
| Armament | None | Not published on the source page |
| Status | Remaining nine Block 40 aircraft to retire in fiscal 2027 | Operated by the US Navy and Royal Australian Air Force; NATO has signalled intent to add it |
Mission: Overland Reconnaissance Against Ocean Surveillance
The Global Hawk is a reconnaissance aircraft, and the Air Force notes that the 'R' in RQ-4 stands for reconnaissance. The Block 30 version carries electro-optical (EO), infrared (IR), synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) sensors. The Block 40 version carries the RTIP radar, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) that tracks moving targets on the ground.
The Triton's published mission list centres on the sea. Northrop Grumman lists maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), early warning of missile threats, and Homeland Defense missions. Its sensor fit is a 360-degree multi-intelligence suite plus survivable standoff targeting, and the Triton page does not name the radar.
Northrop Grumman claims the Triton delivers 33 percent greater effectiveness than medium-altitude aircraft on the same surveillance mission, with 60 percent fewer flight hours and half the operational cost. Northrop Grumman makes that claim against medium-altitude aircraft. To place both aircraft among other surveillance designs, see our guide to reconnaissance drones and our overview of types of military drones.
Why the Two Aircraft Look Alike
The RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-4C Triton share a maker and a published wingspan: Northrop Grumman builds both, and both service documents list the span at 130.9 feet. The Air Force converts that span to 39.8 metres, and the Navy converts it to 39.9 metres.
Both are high-altitude, long-endurance drones, with published operating heights of 60,000 feet for the Global Hawk and above 50,000 feet for the Triton. The source pages give no figure for how much hardware the two aircraft share. The Triton page does not publish length, height, payload or engine, so this page cannot compare the two airframes on size.
To compare the Global Hawk with a different unmanned aircraft, see our Global Hawk vs Reaper comparison and our MQ-9 Reaper profile.
Fleet Status: Retirement Against Production
The Air Force plans to retire its remaining nine Block 40 Global Hawks in fiscal year 2027 because they are vulnerable to modern long-range surface-to-air missiles. Block 40 is the version that carries the RTIP radar for ground moving target tracking. Our RQ-4 Global Hawk page covers the Block 30 and Block 40 versions and the retirement plan.
The Triton's published operators are the US Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. Australia operates 3 Tritons as of 2026, out of 4 ordered, for maritime surveillance. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has signalled intent to add Triton to its RQ-4D Phoenix fleet.
The source pages used here give no count of US Navy Tritons, so this page does not state one. Australia's is the only operator count on these pages: it ordered 4 and operates 3.
What to Check When Researching Northrop Grumman's Unmanned Business
Both aircraft are Northrop Grumman products, and their published status differs. The Air Force has a retirement plan for the last Block 40 Global Hawks, while the Triton has the US Navy and Australia as operators and NATO's signalled intent to add it. Our Northrop Grumman company profile covers the company beyond these two airframes.
This page gives no unit price or contract value for either aircraft. A change to the fiscal year 2027 retirement date would change the Global Hawk side of this comparison. On the Triton side, NATO's signalled intent to add Triton to its RQ-4D Phoenix fleet is the published item to follow.
Before citing any figure from this RQ-4 Global Hawk vs MQ-4C Triton comparison, open Northrop Grumman's Triton page and the Air Force Global Hawk fact sheet and confirm the numbers there.
Drones and UAS FAQs
What is the difference between Global Hawk and Triton?
The RQ-4 Global Hawk is the US Air Force's high-altitude reconnaissance drone, and the MQ-4C Triton is the US Navy's maritime-surveillance drone. Northrop Grumman builds both, and both list a 130.9-foot wingspan. The Air Force publishes a 60,000-foot Global Hawk ceiling and a 34.3-hour endurance record, while Northrop Grumman publishes the Triton at above 50,000 feet, 24-plus hours and 7,400 nautical miles.
Is the MQ-4C Triton armed?
Northrop Grumman's Triton page describes maritime ISR, early warning of missile threats and Homeland Defense missions, and it lists no weapons. The sources used for this page give no Triton armament, so read the US Navy MQ-4C Triton fact file for the service's own description. The Air Force lists the Global Hawk's armament as none.
Which countries fly the Triton?
The US Navy flies the Triton, and Australia operates 3 Tritons as of 2026 out of 4 ordered, for maritime surveillance. NATO has signalled intent to add Triton to its RQ-4D Phoenix fleet. The source pages used here name no other operators.
Is the Global Hawk being retired?
Yes, the Air Force plans to retire its remaining nine Block 40 Global Hawks in fiscal year 2027. The stated reason is the aircraft's vulnerability to modern long-range surface-to-air missiles. Block 40 aircraft carry the RTIP radar for tracking moving targets on the ground.