Page 21 - Australian Defence Magazine April 2020

APRIL 2020 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
SEA POWER CONTEXT 21
“I characterise the Next Generation Navy as a far more effective and resilient force. In isolation, each change we make, each initiative we undertake, on its own may be a small contribution, but the whole will be far greater than the sum of its parts; because each step is driving us toward that one common goal: a Navy that is ready to respond to what- ever Government and Chief of the Defence Force ask of us.
“As we move toward a fully integrated joint force, we must change the way we develop, acquire and sustain combat sys- tems. We are already seeing this with our
approach within the surface fleet where
F-35 Lightning II and the Super Hornet are also essential components in this integrated force, able to identify threats and provide targeting data for ship-launched missiles.
CEC will form part of the Australian Joint Integrated Fires Capability that will transform the ADF into a fully networked joint force. It will also improve interoperability with allied forces by enabling CEC-capable ships and air- craft to share targeting data and fire control solutions.
“CEC is already a standard feature in three Aegis combat management systems of the Hobart Class. Into the future this capability will be cou- pled with the interface developed by Saab Australia, and the CEAFAR phased array radar in the Hunter Class Frigates. Future iterations of the Aegis and Saab Australia Combat Systems will have an open archi- tecture framework that will enable faster
we’re moving to integrate more closely with Air Force, Army and allied forces,” CDRE Mann said.
CEC
Australia is the first nation outside the US
to receive and successfully test Coopera-
tive Engagement Capability (CEC). This
combines data from multiple sensors into a single, real- time, composite picture. Targets can be detected by any CEC-equipped ship or aircraft; and can be fired upon by all other CEC-equipped ships in the fleet. The ability to in- tercept a threat, once any ship sees it, will provide a longer range, cooperative and layered air defence.
Defence is seeking to integrate CEC (and CEC-like sys- tems) with other ADF capabilities, including the RAAF E-7A Wedgetail, and more broadly into the joint force through the Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) system. The
and easier integration of future upgrades. “Current development of the Hobart Class reflects our intent for Hunter Class and beyond. Add- ing new features to existing capabilities will be like upgrad- ing software in your smartphone. This will reduce cost to the Commonwealth and will help to keep our systems up to date,”
CDRE Mann said.
While Navy has come a long way toward re-defining it-
self, it is a work in progress – fully supported at the highest levels of Government. The Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance delivered Navy’s third and final Hobart class destroyer, NU- SHIP Sydney, in late February – see P30 for more.
“AS WE MOVE TOWARD A FULLY INTEGRATED JOINT FORCE, WE MUST CHANGE THE WAY WE DEVELOP, ACQUIRE AND SUSTAIN COMBAT SYSTEMS.”
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