A
Aussie Digger
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I thought I'd start a new thread providing details of Australia's upgrades for it's Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft Upgrade. Here's the most recent upgrade announcement:
The Royal Australian Air Force’s AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft fleet will be equipped with an enhanced capability to detect, identify and gain intelligence on targets of interest in the maritime and littoral environments, Defence Minister Robert Hill said today.
Senator Hill said the United States company FLIR Systems Inc had won a $10 million contract to provide 10 new electro-optical Star SAFIRE III surveillance systems for our Orions.
"Five of our AP-3C aircraft operated from RAAF Edinburgh, South Australia, are already equipped with the Star SAFIRE II surveillance systems," Senator Hill said.
"The equipment has been used in patrolling our northern borders as part of Operation Relex and in the war against terrorism in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Slipper.
"The Star SAFIRE III is the next generation surveillance system capable of providing images with greater magnification and resolution. When fitted to the fleet, the maritime patrol aircraft will be better able to collect images during both day and night operations."
Senator Hill said that the enhanced surveillance systems would, in a later phase of the project, be integrated with the AP-3C data management systems so that the images could also be transmitted off-board. (Probably via Link 16 TDL's) The system will also be incorporated into training simulators.
All Star SAFIRE III systems are expected to be in service by early 2005.
Our 19 AP-3C Orions have already been vastly upgraded with new systems including: the Elta El/M - 2022A Radar which has a track while scan capability for over 100 targets at any particular time, it also has Synthetic aperture and inverse synthetic aperture modes and is rated amongst the best such radars in the world. our Orions are also equipped with: new acoustic sensors, the new AN/ASQ-504 Magnetic Anomaly Detection System, two new Honeywell H764G Embedded GPS/INUs, a brand new communications systems including Have Quick 11 secure radio's, Link 11 Tactical Data Links, (with Link 16 to be added later) new SATCOMM's and an enhanced version of the US Navies AN/ASQ-212 central processing computers.
Our Orions are currently armed with Mk 46 Torpedoes which will soon be replaced by the new 'Eurotorp' MU-90 Torpedo and the Harpoon ASM, which is in the process of being upgraded to the new Harpoon 11 standard. In addition our Orions are to be armed with the RAAF's planned stand-off precision attack missile (the new Joint air to surface standoff attack Missle JASSM) which will give the Orion a Standoff land attack capability to add to it's considerable overland surveillance capability. The Orion may also be equipped with the RAAF's planned "Littoral Support Weapon" though that project is in it's very ealry stages. The Orions are also due to receive a new Electronic Warfare Self-Protection system in the next few years, allowing this aircraft to operate in more complex warfighting situations.
All up these upgrades have ensured the RAAF possesses one of the best if not the best MPA in the World. It's capability has been demonstrated over Iraq and in the Persian Gulf, during the 2003 Iraq war. The AP-3C has also demonstrated it's superiority over other P-3 Orion aircraft and the British Nimrod MPA by winning the Fincastle MPA Competition in Australia last year. This competition is run every year between the Maritime Patrol Aircraft forces of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Great Britain. Great Britain won the competition the year before.
Here are some photo's of Australia's AP-3C Orion MPA Aircraft.
The Royal Australian Air Force’s AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft fleet will be equipped with an enhanced capability to detect, identify and gain intelligence on targets of interest in the maritime and littoral environments, Defence Minister Robert Hill said today.
Senator Hill said the United States company FLIR Systems Inc had won a $10 million contract to provide 10 new electro-optical Star SAFIRE III surveillance systems for our Orions.
"Five of our AP-3C aircraft operated from RAAF Edinburgh, South Australia, are already equipped with the Star SAFIRE II surveillance systems," Senator Hill said.
"The equipment has been used in patrolling our northern borders as part of Operation Relex and in the war against terrorism in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Slipper.
"The Star SAFIRE III is the next generation surveillance system capable of providing images with greater magnification and resolution. When fitted to the fleet, the maritime patrol aircraft will be better able to collect images during both day and night operations."
Senator Hill said that the enhanced surveillance systems would, in a later phase of the project, be integrated with the AP-3C data management systems so that the images could also be transmitted off-board. (Probably via Link 16 TDL's) The system will also be incorporated into training simulators.
All Star SAFIRE III systems are expected to be in service by early 2005.
Our 19 AP-3C Orions have already been vastly upgraded with new systems including: the Elta El/M - 2022A Radar which has a track while scan capability for over 100 targets at any particular time, it also has Synthetic aperture and inverse synthetic aperture modes and is rated amongst the best such radars in the world. our Orions are also equipped with: new acoustic sensors, the new AN/ASQ-504 Magnetic Anomaly Detection System, two new Honeywell H764G Embedded GPS/INUs, a brand new communications systems including Have Quick 11 secure radio's, Link 11 Tactical Data Links, (with Link 16 to be added later) new SATCOMM's and an enhanced version of the US Navies AN/ASQ-212 central processing computers.
Our Orions are currently armed with Mk 46 Torpedoes which will soon be replaced by the new 'Eurotorp' MU-90 Torpedo and the Harpoon ASM, which is in the process of being upgraded to the new Harpoon 11 standard. In addition our Orions are to be armed with the RAAF's planned stand-off precision attack missile (the new Joint air to surface standoff attack Missle JASSM) which will give the Orion a Standoff land attack capability to add to it's considerable overland surveillance capability. The Orion may also be equipped with the RAAF's planned "Littoral Support Weapon" though that project is in it's very ealry stages. The Orions are also due to receive a new Electronic Warfare Self-Protection system in the next few years, allowing this aircraft to operate in more complex warfighting situations.
All up these upgrades have ensured the RAAF possesses one of the best if not the best MPA in the World. It's capability has been demonstrated over Iraq and in the Persian Gulf, during the 2003 Iraq war. The AP-3C has also demonstrated it's superiority over other P-3 Orion aircraft and the British Nimrod MPA by winning the Fincastle MPA Competition in Australia last year. This competition is run every year between the Maritime Patrol Aircraft forces of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Great Britain. Great Britain won the competition the year before.
Here are some photo's of Australia's AP-3C Orion MPA Aircraft.