Australia to operate Peregrine from Cocos Islands
Australia issued an expression of interest (EoI) on 5 March concerning the construction of an airborne EW and ISR forward operating base on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean.
Tender documentation revealed the infrastructure work is part of Project Air 555 Phase 1, the programme procuring four MC-55A Peregrine aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The Peregrine special mission aircraft, based on the Gulfstream G550, is not mentioned by name in the EoI, however.
The work would occur from July 2021 to December 2023, and responses from interested parties close on 14 April.
The Cocos (Keeling)
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Air Warfare
-
Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up
Quantum Systems’s Ukraine-made interceptor SPYS is thought to cost approximately 10 times less than Russia's jet-powered uncrewed aerial systems and is being produced at scale.
-
UK eyes lightweight satellite communications for UAVs
The UK is seeking to extend the operational reach of uncrewed aerial vehicles, reflecting growing demand for compact, energy-efficient technology to support beyond-line-of-sight operations.
-
Loyal wingman programmes gather pace as US and European procurement plans take shape
Northrop Grumman, Airbus and Anduril are positioning their uncrewed aerial vehicles for future collaborative combat aircraft contracts in a market that is forecast to exceed $36 billion.
-
UK A400M Saudi deployment highlights airlifter’s role as Airbus pursues upgrades
Airbus is developing new capabilities for its A400M transport aircraft as European countries consider future airlift requirements and the UK plans to deploy the aircraft to Saudi Arabia.
-
The new generation of defence companies emerging from the US UAV boom
As the Pentagon accelerates procurement of low-cost, lethal UAVs through its Drone Dominance Program, emerging suppliers will need to demonstrate manufacturing capacity, supply chain resilience and reliability.