January 27, 2021 | International, Naval
By: Nigel Pittaway
MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia's defense minister announced initiatives Monday that will fund early development work on a range of advanced guided weapons and new mine countermeasures/hydrographic ships for the Royal Australian Navy.
The guided weapons program, to be developed under Project Sea 1300, is part of a 20-year, AU$24 billion (U.S. $19 billion) investment in maritime weapons that will deliver long-range anti-ship missiles, extended-range surface-to-air missiles, advanced lightweight torpedoes and maritime land-strike capabilities to the Navy.
Under Project Sea 1300, the Australian government will continue to invest in the international development program for the Evolved Seasparrow Block 2 surface-to-air missile. Funds will also be used to further develop the SM-2 Block IIIC and SM-6 Block I missiles.
The weapons upgrades will be integrated into the Navy's current and future major surface combatant fleet, beginning with the eight Anzac-class frigates, which are undergoing a series of upgrades via a midlife capability assurance program.
“All of these new weapons will enhance the protection of our maritime resources and also our nation's border. They will also hold potential adversaries out to much greater distances — up to 1,500 kilometers [932 miles],” Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said.
Reynolds added that the investment is in line with the recent Defence Strategic Update, which noted that “a number of nations” in the Asia-Pacific region are developing maritime capabilities, including sophisticated long-range strike weapons.
“These announcements are not about any one nation in particular. They are about ensuring Australia has the sovereign capability in the maritime, land and air domains to protect our nation from any potential threats,” she said.
Reynolds also announced that the government will acquire eight new, role-adaptable ships for mine countermeasures and hydrographic missions under Project Sea 1905. The new ships will be a variant of the Arafura-class offshore patrol vessels currently under construction for the Navy and will be built at Henderson in Western Australia.
The government previously promised to build three vessels for the mine countermeasure and hydrographic roles; the new commitment for five more ships will attract an additional investment of AU$5 billion.
“[The Department of] Defence has also released an invitation for Australian industry to provide us with a toolbox of robotic and autonomous systems for these eight new vessels,” the minister said. “And I would encourage all Australian companies — and we have many companies who are at the leading edge of autonomous systems, vehicles and vessels — to have a look at this and to work with Navy to develop options,” she said.
February 11, 2022 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR, Security
Reports indicate artificial intelligence played a key role in the Israel conflict with Hamas in Gaza in May 2021, and artificial intelligence is increasingly being incorporated into systems developed by Israeli defense companies, such as rifles, bombs and other systems.
September 28, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Tony Osborne On Sept. 27, Switzerland went to to the polls for the second time in six years in a referendum to decide the future of the country's fighter fleet. In 2014, the Swiss populace voted down plans for Saab's JAS 39 Gripen to replace the Northrop Grumman F-5 Tiger. This time, the question was more binary, asking simply whether the country should procure new fighters—a single fleet that would replace both fleets of 30 C/D-model F/A-18 Hornets and 26 Northrop F-5 Tigers. The government-backed “Security Yes” campaign won by the finest of margins, securing 50.1% of the vote. Their winning message said that voting against the proposals could leave the country's airspace unprotected beginning in 2030, when both the Hornets and Tigers will reach the end of their useful lives. The “No to New Fighter Jets” campaign did not rule out the need for an air defense capability but argued that a smaller and lighter aircraft would have achieved the desired capability at a lower cost and in a more environmentally and noise-friendly way. There is now a CHF6 billion budget for a new fighter and a type selection is expected in 2021. This gallery presents the fighters proposed for the Swiss requirement and the aircraft they will go on to replace. https://aviationweek.com/special-topics/air-dominance/switzerland-decides
June 28, 2021 | International, C4ISR
Chinese advances in the areas of artificial intelligence and processing data are "particularly problematic," says Northrop's chief executive.