CEA wins at home and away

An Australian-developed technology has won a crucial ADF order, underlining the potential for significant exports as well.
As expected, Canberra-based CEA Technologies has been awarded a $430 million contract to equip the RAN's Anzac-class frigates with its active phased array CEA-FAR search and target tracking radar and CEA-MOUNT target illuminator under Ph.2b of the Anzac Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) upgrade.

The Anzac ASMD is now worth some $700 million

"The CEA phased array radar system offers the Navy a significant capability boost," Senator Hill said. "CEA has developed a product that has a genuine competitive advantage in the important criteria of weight, cost, capability and overall value for money. These radars have a clear export potential and the market for this technology is estimated in the billions of dollars."

"This new phase of the project is estimated to create up to 130 jobs during acquisition and installation, and 25 jobs to support the capability through the life of the [eight] frigates with around $260 million to be spent in Australia."

In addition to providing self protection, the Anzacs' ASMD system will also be able to protect ships it is escorting such as Amphibious ships, Auxiliary support vessels and merchant vessels.

The ASMD upgrade is being implemented through the ANZAC Alliance by industry members Tenix Defence and SAAB Systems.

Both CEA and the Howard Government have committed significant resources towards reducing the risks inherit in such a high end technology project including conducting sea trials last year, Hill said.

The selection of CEA further supports the objectives of the Defence Electronic Systems Sector Strategic Plan which includes the development of niche capabilities in radar as being of strategic importance to Australia.

The ANZAC Alliance has already commenced work to upgrade the ships' combat system to Saab's COTS-based 9LV Mk3E and install a SAGEM Vampir infra-red search and track system which will provide improved detection of low level aircraft and anti-ship missiles when close to land.

The announcement that the CEA-FAR and CEA-MOUNT would equip the Anzac came only a fortnight after Hill's announcement Australia and the United States have signed a joint agreement to further develop CEA Technology's Australian active phased array radar technology. Both countries are to share the development costs, technical expertise and benefits of the active phased array radar technology which is being developed by ACT electronics company CEA Technologies.

Phased array radar technology is reported to have enormous potential to manage high threat environments. According to the Senator Hill, "The program will allow further development of the CEA radar technology for possible use in medium to long range air warfare and ballistic missile defence".

The total development cost is estimated to be approximately $30 million over three years. This initiative follows the investment of $7 million by the Royal Australian Navy earlier this year in the Auspar active phased array radar as part of a sub-phase of Project Sea 4000.

The Auspar radar is a high-powered version of the CEA-FAR phased array sensor which is already in service with the US government in an undisclosed air defence application. If the new radar works as envisaged it could challenge established sensor designs to become the primary sensor for Australia's planned fleet of Air Warfare Destroyers.

The technology can also be applied to smaller ships the RAN was the first to install a CEA-FAR sensor aboard a ship earlier this year when it mounted a radar on HMAS Arunta for sea trials. The trials formed an experimental phase of the ASMD upgrade and the radar antennas were configured for the ASMD role and partially integrated with the ship's existing 9LVMk3 combat management system.

The CEA-FAR radar has also been selected by German ship builder Blohm+Voss as the baseline radar system for its next-generation Meko-D and Meko-X families of frigate designs. Aboard these ships the CEA-FAR will be integrated with the 9LV Mk3E combat management system developed by Saab Systems Australia Pty Ltd for the Anzac frigates which are based on an earlier Meko-200 design.

When announcing the joint Australian, US development initiative Senator Hill said, "The program represents a significant enhancement to already leading edge technology and will help position Australian industry at the forefront of this field. This makes radar technology a sound investment for Australian industry with potential for extensive application in the future and significant export opportunity.

"It also has potential to be used in a range of US programs including the Littoral Combat Ship and other new ship programs, land and land mobile programs, as well as replacing legacy systems on some US ships. We have a very close working relationship with the US Navy on this project, with US staff embedded in the project team.

"I congratulate CEA Technologies for their ongoing support of this project and thank the Defence Materiel Organisation for the work done to bring about this joint project," he said.

By Daniel Cotterill, Canberra