Saab to supply CMS, combat system interface to Royal Australian Navy

The RANʼs Anzac-class frigate HMAS Parramatta being undocked in May after undergoing an upgrade. (Commonwealth of Australia)

The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has awarded contracts to Saab Australia to develop and deliver a combat management system (CMS) for the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) upgraded Anzac-class frigates.

Under the contracts, Saab Australia will also develop an Australian interface for combat systems on the RAN's Hobart-class destroyers and Hunter-class frigates, the company announced on 8 September.

The CMS – AusCMS – will be modular and scalable to enable the RAN to choose the combat system elements required on each vessel, Saab Australia said. “This will be particularly important for enabling speed to capability when introducing new capabilities on the Anzac-class frigates,” the company added.

The Anzac-class frigates are currently integrated with Saab's 9LV Mk 3E CMS. The AusCMS will very likely be an advanced version of 9LV Mk 3E.

Australia's seven Anzac-class frigates have previously been upgraded under the anti-ship missile defence (ASMD) programme, which was completed in 2017. They are now being upgraded under the Anzac Midlife Capability Assurance Program (AMCAP) that was initiated in 2018. In July the DoD announced that the fourth vessel of this class, HMAS Parramatta, has been undocked following upgrades under AMCAP.

Saab's Australian interface will improve application of the Aegis combat system in the Hobart-class destroyers and Hunter-class frigates. Janes data shows that the Hobart-class vessels are equipped with Aegis Baseline 7, while the Hunter-class vessels will be equipped with Aegis Baseline 9.

Saab has previously told Janes