Page 99 - Australian Defence Magazine Dec-Jan 2023

DECEMBER 2022-JANUARY 2023 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
MAJOR PROJECTS REVIEW 99
to the RAAF in the last quarter of 2023 following comple- tion of a comprehensive flight-test program in the US that began in May 2022.
Announcing in March 2019 that four G550s would be acquired under Project Air 555 for $2.46 billion (approved expenditure is now slightly lower at $2.28 billion), Defence described Peregrine as a new airborne EW capability that would provide a critical link between ADF platforms.
While the Peregrine’s mission capabilities are closely guarded, the aircraft is likely to be able to monitor, record and classify a wide portion of the microwave and radiowave end of the electromagnetic spectrum, from mobile phone and Wi-Fi networks to large integrated air defence systems.
External modifications undertaken by L3Harris in the US to accommodate mission equipment feature a ‘canoe’
fairing under the forward fuselage, an upper fuselage satellite communications antenna, a rear tailcone fairing housing an integrated electro-magnetic/infrared turret, and an antenna fairing on the top of the vertical stabiliser.
The aircraft itself has a range of 12,000 km nautical miles, a cruise speed of 553 knots and a maximum cruise altitude of 51,000 ft, ensuring an excellent perspective for its sensors. Endurance is around 12 hours. The RAAF’s two AP-3C(EW) Orion signals intelligence aircraft will continue in that role with 10 Squadron at RAAF Edin- burgh until the MC-55As become operational in 2024-25.
ABOVE: As of November 2022, 56 F-35As had been accepted by the RAAF
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