Australia to buy 6 drones to monitor borders

Canberra, June 26 (IANS) Australia will buy six Triton drones to monitor its maritime borders, the government said on Tuesday.

The six MQ-4C Triton remotely piloted aircraft will be purchased as part of a cooperative program with the US Navy, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister of Defense Industry Christopher Pyne have said.

The drones will be introduced into service in mid-2023 and will undertake surveillance tasks along the maritime borders, Xinhua news agency reported.

The aircraft can fly about 11,000 km a day and reach an altitude of 4,880 metres.

Pyne told journalists from Australian broadcaster Channel 7 that the drones will be used to monitor and perform reconnaissance in the Indian and Pacific oceans, Antarctica and Southeast Asia to prevent the trafficking of immigrants and illegal fishing.

The programme also involves cooperation with the US Navy for the development, production and maintenance of the MQ-4C Triton.

The government will also invest in the construction of new facilities at the Edinburgh and Tindal military bases as well as new ground control systems, among others, according to a statement.