New U.S. Navy Drone Squadron Coming to Jacksonville

Press Release

The U.S. Navy announced today that it has selected Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, FL to base its new squadron of unmanned aerial surveillance drones.

Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, FL was selected from three finalist the Navy named in April. The other two finalists were Naval Air Station Key West and the NASA Flight Facility in Wallops Island, VA.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent a letter to the Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus last year outlining why he thought Florida was the best choice for the new squadron.

Nelson cited the state's proximity to both the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea and the ongoing maritime patrol operations already being performed there as reasons why Mayport should be chosen.

The Navy's MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle is capable of flying for more than 24 hours at a time and surveying over 2.7 million square miles in a single mission. It's used to provide sailors and Naval officers with real-time intelligence and surveillance, as well as to assist in maritime search and rescue operations.

In addition to eight Triton drones, up to 400 sailors and their families will be stationed at Mayport.

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