Page 14 - Australian Defence Magazine Nov 2020

14 NEWS REVIEW
NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
MIRRAGIN PARTNERS WITH UGL FOR SEA 129 PHASE 5
MIRRAGIN Unmanned Systems has part- nered with UGL Limited and McR De- fence on its Australian Maritime Drone Ecosystem capability plan for Sea 129 Phase 5 – the RAN’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) capability.
Australian veteran-owned Mirragin announced the partnership with UGL as an ‘exciting opportunity to pioneer Australia’s sovereign capability through a network of small to medium enterpris- es and capability partners.’
“UGL Limited is an engineering and services business and is a member of the CIMIC Group, an ASX listed com- pany,” Mirragin Managing Director Rob Sutton said. “This an Australian partnership that brings a tremendous depth of project and asset manage- ment experience.
“The Mirragin/UGL solution will de- liver a world-class Australian Maritime Drone Ecosystem focused on building Australian-owned industry content. Our team is committed to supporting genu- ine Australian content for a sustainable and resilient sovereign drone capability.”
According to Mirragin, the Australian Maritime Drone Ecosystem is a ‘whole- of-system solution’ to Defence’s UAS development program to enhance situ- ational awareness across Australia’s vast maritime environment on the Navy’s forthcoming Arafura class offshore pa- trol vessels and the Anzac class frigates.
“Mirragin will be a true capability partner and we will take a best-of-breed approach to achieve and evolve the capa- bility,” Sutton said. “UGL Limited has a proven record of delivering some of Aus- tralia’s largest, most complex programs, including asset management solutions
ABOVE: ADF veteran Rob Sutton, MD of Mirragin.
for Defence and has a national footprint and proven delivery for the RAN through its Naval Ship Management JV.”
The Mirragin Australian Maritime Drone Ecosystem will also focus on the development and investment into STEM, as well as Indigenous participation in the workforce and community engagement through advocacy and STEM outreach.
“As a veteran owned Australian com- pany, Mirragin is committed to creating Australian jobs, encouraging innovation, local skills and knowledge to deliver an Australian defence capability,” Sutton said. “The Australian Maritime Drone Ecosystem is truly that – an intercon- nected system to build and support Australia’s economic future.”
VISUAL LANDING AIDS SYSTEM UPGRADE COMPLETED ON HMAS CHOULES
THE new Visual Landing Aid System on- board HMAS Choules has been success- fully commissioned.
A collaborative effort between the RAN, CASG, Atlantic & Peninsula Australia (A&P), Aeronautical & General Instruments (AGI) and Owen International saw the de- livery of an integrated digital system of ad- vanced visual cues, with the capacity to be upgraded to support future UAV systems.
Owen International commissioned the new Visual Landing Aid System and at- tended the First of Class Flight
Trials, which were conducted off
the east coast of Australia by the RAN’s Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials Unit (AMAFTU).
“This is a very significant achievement, a milestone in the continued growth of our sustain-
RIGHT: The new Visual Landing Aid System on HMAS Choules.
ment capability with Owen International in the Asia Pacific region,” AGI Managing Director, David Hyde said.
AGI’s Visual Landing Aids includes an Advanced Glide Slope Indicator (ASGSI), latest generation Stabilised Horizon Ref- erence System (SHRS) and Deckfinder Ready Combination Deck Lights to pro- vide greater awareness of vessel position and motion with advanced visual cues.
The system reduces pilot workload and increases operational capability.
LOUISE WILLIAMS