Maintaining Australia’s Over-The-Horizon Radar Capability

Australian Department of Defense, I am pleased to announce Defence has signed two sustainment contracts with a combined value of A$393 million to maintain our unique Over the Horizon Radar capability over the next five years. 
 
The contracts have been awarded to two Australian companies and are expected to provide ongoing employment for more than 300 people. More than half of these jobs will be located at the Edinburgh Defence Precinct, Adelaide. 
 
The contract with RLM Pty Ltd, worth A$262 million, will provide support for the two Jindalee Operational Radar Networks sites at Laverton in Western Australia and Longreach in Queensland. 
 
The second contract with BAE Systems Australia is to the value of A$131 million and provides for the support of the Jindalee Facility Alice Springs radar site. Both contracts will also support the Over the Horizon Radar, Centre of Excellence and the Systems Program Office, in Adelaide, South Australia. 
 
The new contracts will standardise engineering, logistics and maintenance support procedures across both contractors and the Commonwealth, and consolidate the maintenance of specialist transmitter and receiver equipment. 
 
Additionally, the new contracts contain an acquisition development component which provides for the future capability development of the Over the Horizon Radar network. 
 
Jindalee Operational Radar Network, or JORN, conducts 24-hour all weather detection of north and northwest air and surface approaches up to 2,000 kilometres away from Australia’s coastline. JORN is an early warning trip-wire in the defence and protection of Australia and our national interests, able to detect surface vessels and low-flying aircraft. 
 
JORN also assists Coastwatch, Customs and Immigration in the detection and prevention of illegal entry, smuggling and unlicensed fishing as well as helping with search and rescue efforts and early storm warnings.