Australia to upgrade military communications

The Australian military is furthering its communications capabilities with the first pass approval of three enhancement projects worth a combined A$500 million to A$1 billion.

Announced by the Australian Government on 15 February, decisions on the approval of all three projects is expected by 2014.

The first, Project Sea 1448 Phase 4A, covers the upgrade of the Anzac class frigates’ electronic support systems. Capped between A$100 million and A$300 million, the upgrade will be a complementary capability for the Anzac anti-ship missile defence programme.

The systems will provide the frigates with the ability to detect, classify and locate the latest generation of maritime and aircraft radars. The upgrades will result in a greater level of operational flexibility ‘within the rapidly increasing complexity of modern radar systems’, according to a government statement. 

The second approval is under Joint Project 2047 Phase 3 for the enhancement of the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) fixed telecommunications network, which has a cost capped between A$300 million and A$500 million. 

Supporting 100,000 users, the network covers 330 sites in Australia and the project will ‘significantly improve network performance and meet capability requirements into the 2020s’.

The final ADF project approved is Joint Project 2097 Phase 1B for the enhancement of the government’s special operations vehicle capability. 

A modern fleet of tactical vehicles will provide ‘significant improvements’ to the special forces’ networked communications.

The enhancements will support the tactical manoeuvre of special forces and improve the overall efficiency of tactical network communications, and will apply to special operations across the spectrum. The modified vehicles will be transportable on a range of ADF platforms so as to maintain the ADF’s ‘capability edge’. 

Meanwhile, CAE announced on 1 February that the major upgrade to the Australian Army’s S-70A Black Hawk full-flight and mission simulator (FFMS) has entered service on schedule.

Electronic warfare capabilities were upgraded on the simulator under the Management and Support of the Australian Defence Force’s Aerospace Simulators (MSAAS) contract.

Additions include: a new missile warning system, a countermeasures dispensing system, missile warning sensors, and a visual upgrade with the added CAE Medallion-6000 image generator.

CAE was originally awarded the MSAAS contract in 2003, and also provides simulation support for several other ADF platforms.