The Morrison Government today announced it will improve the protection of Australian troops through the purchase of a new short range air defence capability using Australian designed and built radars and vehicles.
“The capability will be based on the Raytheon/Kongsberg National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) which is used by several countries including the United States.
“Australia’s version of NASAMS will use advanced radars designed and manufactured by Canberra-based company, CEA Technologies.
“The CEA radar that has been so successful on our ships will now be integrated into an Australian designed and built vehicle, the Thales Hawkei.
Much of this work will be done at the new Raytheon Australia Centre for Joint Integration, which will be built in the defence industry precinct at Mawson Lakes with a $50 million investment from Raytheon.
CEA Radar + Thales Hawkei = The best of Australia (5. September 2018)
Today at Land Forces 2018, CEA Technologies showcased the first of type land-based prototype radar of their highly successful maritime-based Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA).
The prototype, referred to as the CEA Tactical Radar, or CEATAC, has been specifically designed for carriage by the Australian-designed and built Thales Hawkei vehicle.
The prototype is the first step in the integration into the Raytheon / Kongsberg National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) under Army’s new Short Range Ground Based Air Defence project. If successful, CEATAC will provide improved surveillance and defence against modern airborne threats.
The prototype radar will now participate in an evaluation program with the Australian Army, in preparation for consideration by Government in 2019.
$2 billion Ground Based Air Defence System Big Opportunity for Australian Defence Industry (10. April 2017)
The Turnbull Government has provided approval for the development of a Short Range Ground Based Air Defence system to improve protection for deployed personnel.
Minister for Defence Senator the Hon Marise Payne said the project is the first step in the development of the Australian Army’s contribution to the Australian Defence Force’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence Program announced in the 2016 Defence White Paper.
The Government will invest up to $2 billion in the system which will provide the inner most layer of Australia’s enhanced integrated air and missile capability. The capability will be operated by the Army’s 16th Air Land Regiment.
A Single Supplier Limited Request for Tender will be released to Raytheon Australia in the first half of 2017 to develop its highly successful National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) for the Australian Defence Force.
Australia orders vehicle-mounted, active phased-array radars for NASAMS air-defence system
The DoD pointed out that the short-range variant would be mounted on the Australian-produced Hawkei 4x4 light protected vehicle but gave no details regarding numbers, delivery schedules, or any other contractual information.
A prototype CEATAC tactical radar, intended to replace the Thales-Raytheon Systems AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel high-resolution, 3D fire-control radar, began a 12-month series of risk mitigation activities in September 2018. The radar is mounted on the back of a modified Thales-Hawkei protected light vehicle, and can also be mounted on a trailer.
For inclusion in NASAMS, CEA Technologies is also developing the larger fixed-position or truck-mounted CEAOPS surveillance and cueing radar: an evolution of the company's active phased-array S-band ground-based multi-mission radar.
CEAOPS can be integrated into a wider network and the configuration provides long-range multiband surveillance, identification friend-or-foe, and fire control.
Defence signs multi-million dollar contract for air defence radars
Defence has signed a multi-million dollar contract with leading-edge Canberra company CEA Technologies Pty Ltd, for the supply of Army’s new short range ground-based air defence capability.
The $137 million contract will provide advanced radars as part of the air defence system to protect our deployed forces from sophisticated air threats.
The vehicle-mounted radars will be delivered in long and short range variants, with the short range variant to be mounted on the Australian-developed Thales Hawkei vehicle.
Options development for Land 19 Phase 7B (10. September 2018)
Risk mitigation activities (RMA) undertaken by Raytheon Australia for Project Land 19 Phase 7B are set to be completed this month on time and on budget, an encouraging outcome that the program director says has benefitted from the limited tender-single supplier acquisition model.
Raytheon’s proposal for Second Pass consideration in mid-2019 will be based on the proven Raytheon/Kongsberg NASAMS (National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) that is fielded by seven nations, including the US, and is being acquired by Indonesia, and probably India.
The work package also investigated the recent addition of an electro-optical infrared (EOR) sensor that enables NASAMS to engage targets without radiating as well as providing visual raid and kill assessments for operators.
This has resulted in a proposal by Raytheon Australia to utilise the same forward-looking infrared (FLIR) ball that fits under the chin of the RAN’s MH-60R multi-mission helicopters to create a more capable, cheaper mast-mounted sensor package for NASAMS. This would include a self-contained generator and control module.
