Project | Explanation |
Background | The need for an ASMD capability in the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) surface fleet was first foreshadowed in the 2000 Defence White Paper. SEA 1448 Phase 2B is the final Phase of the ANZAC ASMD Program, where the addition to the Class of the phased array radar technology is being undertaken by the Australian Company CEA Technologies and the overall integration into the ANZAC Class is being performed by the ANZAC Alliance (Commonwealth plus BAE Systems (previously Tenix) and Saab Systems). SEA 1448 Phase 2B was approved by Government in September 2005 for $404m. SEA 1448 Phases 2A (the initial phase of the ASMD Project which is procuring the combat management system hardware and the infra-red search and track capability) and 2B are being managed as a confederated ASMD Project due to their common systems engineering disciplines, schedules and risks. Phase 2A is a low risk component whilst it remains part of the confederated project and there are no Phase 2A risks that will migrate to the ASMD Project as enterprise risk. Due to its leading edge and developmental technology, Phase 2B is a high risk phase either as a stand-alone component or as part of the confederated ASMD Project, and these risks do migrate as enterprise risks to the confederated ASMD Project. Originally planned for installation into all eight ANZAC Class ships under a single contract, a further review in 2007 of the technical risks associated with the introduction of the leading edge radar led Government in August 2009 to revise the acquisition strategy to a single ship installation. This strategy allows the project to prove this capability at sea before seeking Government approval to commence installation into subsequent ships. The lead ship, HMAS Perth, successfully underwent acceptance testing between October 2010 and June 2011 with the Chief of Navy scheduled to accept this initial operational capability in July/August 2011. |
Uniqueness | The phased array radar component of the Anti-Ship Missile Defence Project is highly developmental and has not previously been fielded in this form before, although the system components are fourth generation derivatives of fielded CEA systems. The RAN is the first to operate a ship with the Australian designed and manufactured CEA Technologies low power active PAR system. |
Major Challenges | During 2007, it was determined from system engineering reviews and DSTO modelling and analysis that the integration of the phased array radar with the existing ANZAC Class radar systems suggested that existing financial provisions were insufficient to deliver an eight ship Program without a real cost increase. As a direct result, Defence reviewed the acquisition strategy for the Project and modified it to a single ship installation that would need to prove the capability at sea before consideration was given by Government to install into the remaining ships within the Class. Government agreed to this updated strategy in July 2009. |
Other Current Projects/Sub-Projects | SEA 1448 Phase 2A of the ASMD Project is intended to upgrade all eight of the ANZAC Class Ship's existing ANZAC Class Combat Management Systems (CMS) and fire control systems, and install an Infra-Red Search and Track (IRST) System which will provide improved detection of low level aircraft and anti-ship missiles when the ship is close to land. |