Page 21 - Australian Defence Magazine May 2019

Government’s requirements were not abun- dantly clear. Previous maritime surveillance requirements have indicated a preference for a two-tiered approach, encompassing a high- end platform such as the Airbus C-295MPA, Boeing P-8A or Leonardo P-72, down to litto- ral solutions such as the Beechcraft King Air 350 and Viking Guardian 400 (Twin Otter).
Head of South East Asia for Airbus De- fence and Space, Johan Pelissier, confirmed to ADM that the company has responded to the RFI with a solution based upon the C-295 platform, but he says the number of aircraft required has not yet been fully-defined.
“We have a long-standing arrangement with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for coastal surveillance (using ground-based radars and sensors) and we have responded to the RFI,” Pelissier told ADM. “We see the C-295 as an ideal fit.”
There is also a Malaysian requirement for a medium altitude, long endurance (MALE) unmanned system for the surveil- lance of the country’s large coastline. The specific requirements for such a system have been shaped by the 2013 incursion of armed militants from the Philippines in Sabah,
East Malaysia and ADM understands an armed MALE UAS is preferred.
Contenders include GA-ASI’s MQ-9B Sea- Guardian derivative of the Predator/Reaper series, the Chengdu Wing Loong II (Ptero- dactyl) from China, and Turkish Aerospace (TAI) Anka platform. Examples of the latter pair were displayed prominently at either side oftheentrancetotheMIEChallatLIMA19.
Team Defence Australia
Australian defence industry was on prominent display LIMA 2019, once
A Royal Malaysian AF A400M from 22 Skn flying in formation with eight Pilatus PC-7 Mk.II trainers from the RMAF's 1 FTC.
again under the Team Defence Australia banner Australia was one of 12 countries to have a pavilion.
Under the leadership of Chef de Mis- sion, Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Camp- bell, Australian companies represented at LIMA included: Armour Australia, Aus- tal, AVT Australia, GE Aviation Systems, Hawker Pacific, Holmwood Highgate, Moog Australia, Point Trading, Prism De- fence, Rosebank Engineering Australia, Sentient Vision Systems, TAE Aerospace and Zone Products Australia.
www.australiandefence.com.au | May 2019 | 21
NIGEL PITTAWAY