NATO allies plan first purchase of Triton surveillance drones

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks during the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum as NATO prepares to officially select the Swedish Saab GlobalEye surveillance platform during the Summit in Ankara, Turkey, July 7, 2026. Lehtikuva/Emmi Korhonen via REUTERS

ANKARA, July 7 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - NATO allies plan to buy up to five Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton high-altitude surveillance drones, Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday, as the alliance seeks to strengthen its intelligence and surveillance capabilities.

Norway, Finland, Germany and Denmark signed a letter of intent for the purchase, marking the first planned acquisition of Triton drones by the alliance.

The drones would complement NATO’s current fleet of RQ-4D Phoenix intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft based at Sigonella Air Base in Sicily, Italy.

Both the Triton and Phoenix platforms would support NATO’s ground surveillance programme. The drones are based on Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk system, which has a wingspan of 35.4 metres and can stay airborne for more than 30 hours.

Speaking at a defence industry forum ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, Rutte said intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities were crucial for the alliance.