The Royal Australian Navy (Navy) has launched a centralised “warfighting” agency, designed to enhance Australia’s lethal response in times of conflict.
The new Maritime Warfare Centre is a merger of Navy’s Test and Evaluation Authority (RANTEA) and Australian Maritime Warfare Centre (AMWC) into a centralised body “to support current and future capabilities to fight and win at sea”.
Director of AMWC, Captain David Frost said the new Agency would take Navy warfighting capability “to the next level”.
“The First Principles Review and the National Naval Shipbuilding Enterprise has driven Navy to re-think how they provide warfighting support,” Captain Frost said.
“Continuous shipbuilding requires continuous design, testing, and tactical development, and Navy is evolving to meet this challenge,” he said.
“We will continue to apply scientific, engineering, and deep warfare experience to understand what our ships, submarines, and aircraft are capable of, and how we can get the most out of them when called upon.”
He said Test and Tactics Development Teams would be established to support Navy programs within the new Agency.
“They will plan, collect and analyse data that will inform critical decisions about current and future systems,” Captain Frost said.
“In parallel, warfare program and operational analysis teams will collaborate with agencies to develop plans across sea control, littoral, integrated air and missile defence and information warfare domains.”
He said the plans would provide the “battle rhythm” for successful trials.
Captain Frost said the Maritime Warfare Centre would be located on Garden Island in Sydney.
