Navy's Triton drone program bypasses Wallops
A high-profile Navy drone program is heading to Florida instead of the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
The Navy has selected Naval Station Mayport near Jacksonville to host the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft operation on the East Coast, officials said Wednesday, Feb. 15.
Several business groups and elected officials across the mid-Atlantic had urged the Navy to choose Wallops Flight Facility as the program's base. The campaign had won the vocal support of the three governors in the region: Terry McAuliffe of Virginia, Larry Hogan of Maryland and Jack Markell, who was Delaware's governor at the time.
Many advocates framed the program as an economic boost to the rural region, citing the 400 personnel it would bring to the area along with an estimated 500 family members.
Peter Bale, chairman of the business group the Wallops Island Regional Alliance, released a statement late Wednesday thanking the Navy for considering Wallops among three finalist sites. The third was Naval Air Station Key West, also in Florida.
He said the alliance would continue to pursue "future opportunities" to support the Wallops complex, which includes NASA and Navy outposts, among other facilities.
READ MORE: Three governors share one mission to bring drones to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
The Navy's statement noted none of the three sites under consideration presented any environmental hurdles. Since that left them on equal footing, the decision boiled down to "operational needs" and the Navy's "responsibility as a steward of taxpayer resources," according to the statement.
"Located in a fleet concentration area, NS Mayport provides the most operational, maintenance, and family support for the least cost within its existing Navy facilities and services," Navy officials said in the release.
The Mayport base will be one of two for the program in the United States and one of five around the world. The Navy envisions the drones, with their 131-foot wingspan and 48-foot length, providing 24-hour surveillance of seas around the globe.
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