Drift

MQ-4C Triton

MQ-4C · Navy · Northrop Grumman · truncated

−31% $20.0B (2009) → $13.9B (2023)
MQ-4C Triton: cost trajectory from $20.0B in 2009 to $13.9B in 2023, −31% growth. Explore MQ-4C interactively → Download 1-page brief (PDF)
Baseline
$20.0B (2009)
Current estimate
$13.9B (2023)
Cost growth
−31%
Units
70 → 27
Quantity change
−61%
Unit-cost change
+79%
IOC
2015 (planned) → 2023
Schedule slip
+8 yr
Cost basis
BY
Confidence
medium · reconciled
A Triton truncation death-spiral: a Nunn-McCurdy PAUC breach as the buy was cut 70 → 27, so total FELL while per-aircraft cost soared +79% ($286M → $513M, BY2024$). Totals shown are unit cost × quantity.

Source: GAO-25-107569 (confirmed): unit cost $286M → $513M (BY2024$), quantity cut 70 → 27 — a quantity-driven Nunn-McCurdy breach.

← F/A-18E/F All programs Comanche →

Drift — an independent project by Aous Abdo, built from public GAO, CRS and DoD sources. Cost growth has many causes; a larger number is not by itself evidence of mismanagement. How this is built · Explore the data →