• A navy sailor's EW rating badge. Credit: Defence
    A navy sailor's EW rating badge. Credit: Defence
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Updated 11:06am Friday 3rd February 2017

Patrick Durrant | Sydney

An innovation project to develop techniques to provide naval ships with early warning of incoming low flying air threats, such as anti-ship missiles, has received Government funding of $1.7 million.

Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne said Ultra Electronics Avalon Systems will receive the funding for the project, allowing it to take the innovative technology to the next level and complement existing ship-borne radar systems.

Ultra Electronics regional director (ANZ) Bernard Mills told ADM the company was proud to be leading the development and of the support it had received from the Commonwealth.

“We are creating Australian sovereign capability which is applicable across current and future naval platforms, building high-tech skills and jobs for the future, and complementing other onboard systems for the protection and effectiveness of our warfighters,” he said.

ADM understands the funding will assist work carried out by Avalon Systems under a Capability Demonstrator Program awarded in 2006. That CTD proposal, named Scrannel, was to demonstrate the capabilities of an enhanced missile detection system that could provide ships under threat with additional warning time and thus increase their chances of surviving an attack. 

The Scrannel system is understood to be an active Electronic Support Measure – for more on this read an ADM article written in May 2008 by Tom Muir with Fred Haddock.

British firm Ultra Electronics acquired Adelaide EW specialist Avalon Systems in 2009, and is also carrying out in-country tasks for the AWD sonar contract which includes integrated hull-mounted sonar and a towed array to detect and track submarines beyond their lethal range and defend against torpedoes.

Through its acquisition of Avalon Systems, which since its establishment in 1995 has demonstrated a high level of expertise in the EW field, Ultra was able to establish an electronic warfare division.

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