The UK has announced that it will invest £80m in a new Air Command and Control System that will support the continued early detection and rapid response to potential hostile or suspect aircraft that pose a threat to UK sovereignty.
Known as Project Guardian, the project will see the current systems at RAF bases in the UK and Falkland Islands replaced with the new technology.
Since 2013 RAF jets have launched 68 times to intercept or monitor suspect aircraft in the skies around Britain – half of these in response to Russian planes and the new Air Command and Control System will allow the RAF to exercise command and control of UK and NATO fighters to intercept aggressive or suspect aircraft that are a threat.
“The Air Command and Control System is the computer system that takes in data to generate the Recognised Air Picture – a dynamic, real time depiction of aircraft in the airspace the UK control or patrol, with each being identified as friendly or hostile. The upgrades will continue improving the rapid exchange of real time command and control information and speed and accuracy of decision making,” said UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson.
IBM Services in the UK is leading the way to develop and install the replacement system, after it won the contract valued at approximately £60 million with costed options that the MOD can exercise which would take the total value towards £80 million.
“Guardian will provide a new Air Command and Control system connecting the UK’s defence network of radars and radio and delivering several new capabilities to improve communication and interoperability between UK, NATO and coalition aircraft, vital to the protection of the UK’s skies,” said Director Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance, Dr Simon Dakin, of the MOD’s procurement organisation, Defence Equipment and Support.
Group Captain Steven Blockley, director of the RAF’s Director, National Air Defence and Space Operations, said: “The new system provides a quantum leap in technology and information exchange for the personnel charged with the Defence of the Homeland and will ensure that future homeland operations are conducted with equipment befitting the RAF as it reaches its 100th year. The equipment will ensure that new digital technologies, along with new requirements for future capabilities, will also allow us to seamlessly exchange data and threat information across the new RAF platforms, such as the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft and F-35 Lightning II, as well as continue to integrate with our NATO colleagues to ensure the UK National mission to protect our skies and the NATO Air Policing task are met fully.”
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