Australian Dash 8s for maritime surveillance to receive radar upgrade with SeaVue
Cobham Special Mission operates 11 Dash 8s for fixed-wing maritime surveillance services on behalf of the Australian Border Force. (Photo: Cobham)
Under contract from Cobham Special Mission, Raytheon is upgrading a fleet of 11 Dash 8 aircraft with the SeaVue MR radar.
Raytheon Intelligence & Space revealed on 27 July that it will provide its SeaVue Multi-Role (MR) airborne radar for installation aboard a fleet of 11 De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft for Australian maritime surveillance under a contract with Cobham Special Mission.
The value of the deal and its completion timeframe were undisclosed. Raytheon will work on the radars at its facilities in Texas.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the SeaVue family of maritime surveillance radars uses colour or monochrome flat-panel displays, plan position indicators and B-scan presentations and multiple high-resolution video formats.
In addition, SeaVue features inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging and range profiling as well as moving target detection.
Cobham Special Mission provides fixed-wing maritime surveillance services for the Australian Border Force, covering the country’s 8.2 million km2 Exclusive Economic Zone with 11 Dash 8 aircraft.
SeaVue airborne radars for maritime surveillance radars equip manned and unmanned aircraft in nine countries around the world, according to Raytheon. Examples include Japan, Mexico, Thailand and the US.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Defence Notes
-
![How might European countries look to tackle drone incursions?]()
How might European countries look to tackle drone incursions?
Disruption of infrastructure in Europe, whether by cyberattack, physical damage to pipelines or uncrewed aerial vehicles flying over major airports, as has happened more recently, is on the rise. What is the most effective way of countering the aerial aspect of this not-so-open warfare?
-
![Taiwan approved for $11 billion weapon purchase from US]()
Taiwan approved for $11 billion weapon purchase from US
The US State Department’s approval of a multi-billion-dollar sale of weapons to Taiwan includes tactical mission networks equipment, uncrewed aerial systems, artillery rocket systems and self-propelled howitzers as well as anti-tank guided missiles.
-
![Ireland spells out $2.3 billion shopping list in five-year defence spending plan]()
Ireland spells out $2.3 billion shopping list in five-year defence spending plan
Ireland’s multi-annual investment in capital defence spending is set to rise from €300m in 2026 to €360m in 2029–2030 with major upgrades across land, air, maritime and cyber domains.
-
![Canada to deepen integration of multi-domain capabilities to strengthen its defences]()
Canada to deepen integration of multi-domain capabilities to strengthen its defences
The Canadian Department of National Defence has created new organisations to manage the procurement and integration of all-domain solutions and allocated US$258.33 million to strengthen production capacities.
-
![US National Security Strategy prioritises advanced military capabilities and national industry]()
US National Security Strategy prioritises advanced military capabilities and national industry
The 2025 NSS has emphasised investment in the US nuclear and air defence inventory and national industry, but it leaves multiple unanswered questions on how the White House will implement this approach.
-
![Canada set to look away from its neighbour and across the Atlantic for partners]()
Canada set to look away from its neighbour and across the Atlantic for partners
While non-EU UK struggles to join the Security Action for Europe initiative, which provides loans for defence programmes, Canada has become the first country outside Europe to get access – and did so for a nominal fee.
