BY MIKE YEO // MELBOURNE
The Navy’s plans to equip its ships with an unmanned aircraft capability took a step forward in March when five contenders were shortlisted for its Project SEA 129 Phase 5 Block 1 Maritime Unmanned Aircraft System (MUAS) requirement.
The companies shortlisted by Defence are BAE Systems Australia, Insitu Pacific, Northrop-Grumman Australia, Australia, Raytheon and Textron Systems Australia.
“This Program will acquire maritime unmanned intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting aircraft systems which will complement current sensors and systems on Navy’s ships, while boosting a ship’s area of surveillance,” acting Defence Minister Senator Marise Payne said in the news release.
The release added that the project is expected to be worth $270 million, with Block 1 being just the first phase of a 30-year continuous development program, with five-year rolling block upgrades, which will incorporate new technology upgrades.
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price said that by incorporating new technology through block upgrades every five years, the program would support the development of Australia’s UAS industry, while providing the Navy with “leading edge” maritime surveillance capability.
“This process will allow Australian businesses to be directly involved in providing greater situational awareness for the Fleet, in particular the new Arafura Offshore Patrol Vessels, while strengthening longterm job growth and security,” she added.
Defence had issued an Invitation to Respond (ITR) back in August 2020, inviting industry to put forward proposals for the initial phase. The ITR said that seven maritime UAS ‘capability bricks’ will be acquired under this Block, to be operated primarily from the Arafura class offshore patrol vessels (OPV) as well as Navy’s ANZAC class frigates (FFH). Entry into service is scheduled for 2024.
The ITR added that Block 1 is intended to be a “whole-of-systems solution provided by a single supplier”, although it concedes that given “the differences between the OPV and MFU (major force unit) facilities, available aviation spaces, effects and operating conditions may result in the capability being delivered by two different solutions” As such, while the “strong preference” is to choose a single provider with a “one size fits all solution”, it will nevertheless consider having different suppliers operating different platforms to separate OPV operations from the ANZAC class.
This an an excerpt from APDR. To read the full story, go here.
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