Page 10 - Australian Defence Magazine April 2023

10 NEWS REVIEW
INDUSTRY UPDATE
APRIL 2023 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
US BUYS 26 E7-A WEDGETAILS
LEFT: A 2 Sqn Wedgetail pictured at the recent Avalon Airshow
“The E-7A will be the principal airborne sensor for detecting, identifying, tracking, and reporting all airborne activity to Joint Force commanders,” said Andrew Hunter, Assistant Secretary of Air Force Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. “This contract is a critical step in ensuring the department continues delivering battlespace awareness and management capabilities for the next several decades.
“The E-7A will enable greater airborne battlespace awareness through its precise, real-time air picture and will be able to control and direct individual aircraft un- der a wide range of environmental and op- erational conditions.”
Production will begin in 2025, with the first E-7A to be fielded by 2027, and 24 more by 2032, for a total of 26 aircraft.
“We conducted a thorough analysis of viable industry options to ensure the E-3 replacement could meet the specific needs of the US,” Hunter said. “The program will integrate US-based mission systems into the existing platform while simultane- ously ensuring interoperability with coali- tion and allied partners already operating the E-7A.”
EWEN LEVICK | AVALON
THE USAF will buy 26 E-7A Wedgetails to replace the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System in a contract with Boeing worth US$1.2 billion.
The Department of the Air Force award- ed Boeing a contract to begin work on the first trade day of the Avalon Airshow.
“The E-7A will provide advanced Air-
borne Moving Target Indication and Battle Management, C2 capabilities, and ad- vanced Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array radar that enhances airborne battle management and enables long-range kill chains with potential peer adversaries,” the USAF said.
In 2022, the DAF established an E-7A Program Management Office and it is us- ing the rapid prototyping acquisition path- way to acquire the first two E-7As.
BLACK SKY TESTS LONG RANGE MISSILE PROTOTYPE
AUSTRALIAN rocket company Black Sky Aerospace (BSA) has successfully launched a prototype long-range missile from the back of a privately owned Mer- cedes Benz Unimog.
The 3.7 metre long, 229mm diameter TM229 ‘Cyclone’ training missile was fired remotely from a custom weapon pod, all of which were manufactured in Australia, and mounted on the back of an ex-Army truck.
The launch took place on what the company believes to be the largest private launch range in the world; Black Sky’s 3-million-acre site in the southwestern Queensland outback.
CEO Blake Nikolic said the product was the next step in a development that had taken just six months to go from idea to this latest and largest launch, progressing sovereign Australian capability.
“As we wait for announcements about Australia’s future sovereign Guided Weap- ons and Explosive Ordinance (GWEO)
Enterprise,it’simportantthathome-grown businesses don’t stay idle,” Nikolic said.
“BSA is developing, refining and per- fecting its capabilities to respond to Gov- ernment announcements on GWEO so there are local options available to pro- duce these vital defence capabilities.
“As the first firing, this was about test- ing the system, the launch and the design of the missile, and we were able to gather valuable data for future launches.
“The hardware, launch pod, avionics, propellant, rocket motor and nozzle were all manufactured in Australia, by Australians. This is a great advance- ment for sovereign missile develop- ment, with huge export opportunities.”
The training missile is designed to simulate the experience of firing
RIGHT: Black Sky Aerospace firing its Australian TM229 training missile from a Mercedes Benz Unimog
much more sophisticated and expensive missiles so trainees can gain live fire qual- ifications at significantly reduced cost.
“This missile can provide a sovereign, cost effective, rapidly deployable train- ing rocket that could align with Austra- lia’s and allies plans for long range fires,” Nikolic said.
“BSA will continue development work on its suite of products, all fully conceived, designed, manufactured and tested in Australia.”
BLACK SKY AEROSPACE
NIGEL PITTAWAY