Radar System at CEA Technologies, Canberra. Photo: Defence.
Canberra-based company CEA Technologies has been awarded a multi-million dollar defence contract to develop brand new state-of-the-art radars.
CEA Technologies has been contracted to build four brand new air defence radar systems as a part of the Joint Air Battle Management System.
This new initiative from defence includes $2.7 billion worth of funding that is to be split across a variety of different defence contractors, with CEA Technologies being the most recent.
Radars from CEA Technologies are in use on several Australian navy ships.
This funding will allow the Canberra-based company to expand into developing all new ground-based radars for defence alongside its ship-based radars.
Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy said the new radars would be a welcome and significant boost to defence capability.
“The new sensors will be able to detect aircraft and missile threats at greater ranges and with increased accuracy,” he said.
“As a critical component of the Joint Air Battle Management System, the radars will enhance situational awareness and interoperability across the Joint Force, and with our allies.”
Minister Conroy said the Australian government was committed to maximising the participation of Australian defence industry in increasing defence capabilities.
“The contract will directly contribute to growing the CEA Technologies workforce from 530 staff to over 800 in coming years,” he said.
“The expansion of CEA Technologies into ground-based sensor applications using the same proven technologies demonstrates the strength of Australia’s defence industry.”
In a statement, a defence spokesperson said having new radars would be a significant increase for defence.
“This will provide greater situational awareness to, and protection of, deployed ADF forces from increasingly advanced air and missile threats, along with increased levels of interoperability with our Coalition partners,” they said.
“The new sensors are state of the art and use active phased array technology. They are designed to operate against the latest generation of airborne targets.
“Phased array radars provide a significant increase in capability relative to conventional radars, and CEA Technologies is widely recognised for its ability to design, develop, manufacture and support some of the most advanced and capable active phased array radars in the world.”
The new radars that are being developed are scheduled for delivery and initial operations in 2024.
Original Article published by Aiden Rothnie on Riotact.
