Silentium Defence has obtained a A$7.4 million ($5.44 million) contract to supply its Maverick M-series passive radar system to the Australian Army for capability development and evaluation activities.
In a 27 July statement, the Australian company claimed that Maverick M-Series is the ‘first high-performance, low-power, soldier-portable, covert radar system for air defence, land, and maritime surveillance’.
Silentium envisages Maverick M-Series as a complementary or replacement technology to traditional surveillance systems.
Dr James Palmer, CEO of Silentium, noted how the evolving battlespace includes ‘greater penetration of new, unmanned aerial systems alongside traditional threats’.
He added: ‘Comprehensive situational awareness with sufficient time to act has never been more critical.’
As a passive system, Maverick M-Series does not require spectrum allocation to operate, ‘which makes it more cost-effective to deploy in a world where spectrum is increasingly expensive and elusive to secure’, the company added.
Shephard previously reported that, following a successful Phase 1 Army Innovation Day contract for R&D of passive radar systems for land tactical environments, the Australian Defence Innovation Hub awarded Silentium a A$2 million deal in May 2020 to develop and deliver a Maverick M-Series prototype.