Page 4 - AVALON 2023 - Day 3 | DAILY NEWS

KONGSBERG TO SUSTAIN © Kongsberg

AUSTRALIA’S NASAMS

Late in 2022, Kongsberg Defence Australia General Manager, enthused: ‘This
signed a contract with prime contractor announcement highlights the close part-
Raytheon promising five years’ worth of nership shared between the Kongsberg
sustainment for the Australian Army’s teams in Norway and Australia, both work-
new NASAMS (which stands for National ing together to ensure our local workforce
Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) has the technical skills and expertise to
air defence system. support this transformational capability
for the Australian Army.’
The deal, worth AUD9 million (USD mil-
lion), covers recurring support services for The procurement falls under Project Land system. The fully networked and distributed
Kongsberg-supplied subsystems like the 19 Phase 7B, and Australia is the eleventh NASAMS will give the army a much-needed
Fire Distribution Centre, Canister Launcher nation to select NASAMS. beyond-visual-range capability.
and NASAMS classroom trainer. Kongsberg
Defence Australia will also provide field ser- `The air defence capabilities of the Australian entities also engaged in Project
vice representatives. Australian Defence Force are relatively Land 19 Phase 7B are CEA Technologies
weak, with the army currently relying on for radars, and Thales Australia for Hawkei
John Fry, Kongsberg Defence Australia’s Saab’s RBS 70 ground-based air defence transport vehicles.

AARGM-ER LOOKS ENTICING FOR RAAF

4.06m long to fit inside the F-35A/C, though
© US Navy
it is heavier and has a wider diameter than
the AARGM.

It also fits on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
and EA-18G Growler. Considering that
the RAAF operates F-35As, F/A-18Fs and
EA-18Gs, the AARGM-ER seems a suitable
accompaniment.

Four development tests have been con-
ducted over water for the AARGM-ER, and
Dutko said overland tests will occur over
the coming few months. All testing will be
completed before FY2024, leading to an
initial operating capability on the F/A-18 in
The RAAF has both the AGM-88 HARM be pursuing Project Air 5349 Phase 6 Q1 of FY2024.
and AARGM medium-range missiles in its Advanced Growler, one strand of which
inventory, but a new longer-range variant is to improve anti-radiation missile war Foreign Military Sales will thus be possi-
currently still in development by Northrop stocks, and to gain new longer-range and ble from low-rate initial production Lot 4
Grumman holds a lot of appeal for Australia. more advanced anti-radiation missiles. This onwards, and deliveries to foreign cus-
description aligns with the characteristics tomers like Australia could occur from
The new missile is the Advanced Anti- of the AARGM-ER. FY2026. Canberra is very concerned about
Radiation Guided Missile - Extended Range the strategic threat posed by a belligerent
(AARGM-ER), also known by the nomencla- The AARGM-ER is launched from an aircraft China, a country that fields a plethora of
ture AGM-88G. to rapidly suppress and destroy enemy air different surface-to-air missile systems,
defences. Compared to its predecessor the so enhanced weapons like the AARGM-ER
In a media briefing conducted on 15 AARGM, the new missile has a longer range hold a lot of appeal.
February, Captain Alex Dutko, Program and faster speed. However, neither the US
Manager, Direct and Time-Sensitive Strike Navy nor Northrop Grumman would provide On 12 October 2022, the US DoD
(PMA-242) of the US Navy, mentioned that any details as to range and speed. announced a USD35.59 million sale of
‘Australia has expressed interest, and we’re AGM-88E2 missiles, captive air training
actively working with the government there Another key feature of the AARGM-ER is missiles, guidance and control sections
to implement a case for AARGM-ER’. that it is designed for carriage in the inter- for the AARGM, plus HARM missiles to
nal weapon bay of F-35A and F-35C fighters, Australia. The missiles will come from full-
Indeed, just a week earlier, the Australian though the F-35B can only carry it exter- rate production Lot 11, and the work is to
government announced that it would nally. The missile was shortened slightly to be completed by March 2025.
4 | MARCH-02-2023 WWW.GBP.COM.SG/DAILY NEWS