15 November 2019

Australia orders vehicle-mounted, active phased-array radars for NASAMS air-defence system

by Julian Kerr

Australia’s Department of Defence (DoD) has awarded an AUD137 million (USD93 million) contract to local company CEA Technologies for the supply of vehicle-mounted, active phased-array tactical radars for the country’s future short-range, ground-based air-defence (GBAD) system.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said in a 15 November statement that short- and long-range variants of the radars are set to be delivered “as part of the air-defence system to protect our deployed forces from sophisticated air threats”.

A CEATAC radar prototype mounted on the back of a Hawkei vehicle displayed during the Land Forces 2018 defence exhibition in Adelaide. The Australian DoD has ordered an undisclosed number of vehicle-mounted, active phased-array tactical radars (similar to this one) for the country’s future short-range, GBAD system. (Julian Kerr)

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.

Second Pass Approval was granted in March 2019 for the acquisition under Project Land 19 Phase 7B of an enhanced version of the National Advanced Surface-to-air Missile System (NASAMS) at an estimated cost of AUD2.5 billion (USD1.70 billion).

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.

Australia’s Department of Defence (DoD) has awarded an AUD137 million (USD93 million) contract to lo...

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