Can anyone I.D. what this is?

a reply to: LogicalGraphitti

Early in the morning it's flights heading East into the US. Later in the day it's flights returning to Europe. There's a pattern to where the busy points are.

It's there again this evening
www.flightradar24.com...

a reply to: CulturalResilience

U-2, WB-57, or Global Hawk/Triton. My money is on a Hawk or Triton.

originally posted by: CulturalResilience
It's there again this evening
www.flightradar24.com...

Get an actual screen capture rather than the flight radar link.

a reply to: FredT

It was level at 62,000 and 134 kts at the time. It was heading northwest, probably out over the Atlantic.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: FredT

It was level at 62,000 and 134 kts at the time. It was heading northwest, probably out over the Atlantic.

Then its not a U2 for sure and the speed is a bit low to be a Triton et al

a reply to: FredT

They both have sensors in flight testing, and Germany wants Triton. It's slow for them normally, but they might have been flying slow for a reason. There isn't much else that fits.

a reply to: Zaphod58

You dont consider it to be data glitch anymore then?

a reply to: CulturalResilience

Once is a data glitch. More than once it's something flying.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Thanks. I do appreciate your input and your subject expertise. It's probably unconnected but the UK NPAS helicopter has just flown over and is heading that way. Do you think this object 's proximity to HMNB Devonport has any significance?

a reply to: CulturalResilience

Probably not honestly. It looked like it was already at altitude when it crossed Plymouth, which probably means it came from out country. If it was Triton, that would make sense. There are only a very small number of aircraft that fit that profile. As FredT pointed out, that's pretty slow for any of them, but that could be as simple as to increase loiter time.

a reply to: Zaphod58

A couple of questions if you can excuse my ignorance. Is Triton solely a USN asset at this point or does USAF fly it?

If this is Triton is it in UK airspace with the knowledge and co-operation of the M.O.D?

Can Triton be maritime launched at this point? And if so is it likely that I would find the USN mothership if I scanned the AIS?

Something else just occurred to me. I and at least one other poster noticed a sudden altitude reading drop from 60000 plus to 600 yesterday, and that was what you considered to be pretty convincing evidence that we were looking at a glitch as I remember. I am not attempting to infer anything from this I just would like to know what you think about that now. In light of what you said about once being a glitch and twice being something flying.

originally posted by: CulturalResilience
A couple of questions if you can excuse my ignorance. Is Triton solely a USN asset at this point or does USAF fly it?

Its a USN asset with no USAF connection.

If this is Triton is it in UK airspace with the knowledge and co-operation of the M.O.D?

It would have too. Its not stealthy so would be picked up rather easily on radar. Also anything above FL60 would garner the immediate attention the air defense folk if it was not approved. Also the UK is rumored to be looking them to replace the capabilities lost when the Nimrod was killed off so perhaps its a show and tell. It could also be transiting to Germany.

Can Triton be maritime launched at this point? And if so is it likely that I would find the USN mothership if I scanned the AIS?

Land based and do not operate off of carriers. Ive seen one up close and this is a pretty big drone (its wingspan is just over 130 feet). Also as fun as AIS is military vessels seldom show up on it.

If it kicks up to Mach 2 then we have something interesting..

62,000 MSL aayyeee, I see tr3b's there......in North Texas.

On a ground track to take em to the spaceport at Dugway......ing off to Miami or you know Canaveral, with gen3 nighty night vision.

a reply to: GBP/JPY

Yes, because your TR3B uses ADS-B now so everyone can see where it is. Why not, since the Internet knows everything else about them, and they're apparently capable of everything you can possibly imagine.

a reply to: CulturalResilience

As FredT said, Triton is a maritime patrol UAV. It's based on the RQ-4 Global Hawk. It's strictly Navy. Germany plans on buying them to replace the original Eurohawk that they had planned on buying

The sudden drop in altitude may have been them shutting down their ADS-B before they went to their mission area. They have to broadcast going through areas with civilian traffic, but they shut down once they're clear.

Thanks for the answers. It's absolutely fascinating.

a reply to: FredT

Many thanks for your help in this thread. I. Hope you realised I wasn't trying to trip you up on your earlier post. I know you are an SME and I hold your contributions in high regard. Like I said to Fred T this is absolutely fascinating for me.
a reply to: Zaphod58

a reply to: CulturalResilience

No worries about that. Things change with more data. It's always fun when something pops up that doesn't broadcast a callsign.