00:00A new eye in the sky, with no one on board.
00:05The Tritons are the largest uncrewed aircraft in the world today.
00:11And this will be one of four aircraft that we acquire as part of a transformational capability
00:20for our Air Force.
00:22With its 40 metre wingspan and more than 24 hour flight time, this high altitude aircraft
00:27will scan the sea around Australia for potential adversaries, from their top end base in Tyndall,
00:33but piloted by operators in South Australia.
00:35This will provide an incredibly important and persistent layer of intelligence, surveillance
00:41and reconnaissance.
00:42Australia is acquiring the drones in partnership with the US Navy, which recently slashed its
00:47order of Tritons in half.
00:50But the Defence Minister insists that these long range drones are exactly what Australia
00:55needs.
00:56We need to have the longest range, persistent surveillance capability possible, given the
01:04vast areas that we need to surveil in order to keep our nation safe.
01:10But not everyone is convinced.
01:12They're an extraordinarily expensive, ultra-luxury drone that we can't afford to lose or replace.
01:21Budget documents show $2.4 billion has been set aside for the first three Triton drones.
01:27The Government's already agreed to buy a fourth, with a further two still being considered.
01:33There are much, much cheaper long range surveillance drones.
01:38The job that the Triton does is able to be done in lots of ways.
01:44This first Triton will start test flights later this year, with another two due to arrive
01:50in 2025.
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