Australia to upgrade maritime surveillance fleet in $965m deal

The Australian government has said it will buy a new drone and upgrade existing patrol and response aircraft in a 1.5 billion Australian dollar ($964.88m) The military will buy a fourth MQ-4C Triton drone and upgrade the air force's existing fleet of 14 P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, Pat Conroy, minister for defence industry, said in a statement on Tuesday. The Triton will be delivered in 2024 and be based in northern Australia. The aircraft upgrades will provide enhancements to anti-submarine warfare, maritime strike and intelligence collection capabilities, the statement said. The first Poseidon will enter the upgrade programme in 2026, with the final aircraft to be completed in 2030.