Page 127 - Australian Defence Magazine November 2021

LEFT: Three P-8A Poseidon aircraft from 11 Sqn in formation with an AP-3C(EW) Orion from 10 Sqn practice formation flying ahead of the Air Force Centenary flypast in Canberra on 31 March 2021
itime ISR role. The Seaspray radar uses AESA technology to detect, track, and classify hundreds of maritime contacts. The radar’s patented small target detec- tion capability enables it to spot extremely difficult targets such as submarine peri- scopes at long range and in rough seas.
Other major equipment included in the approval included Raytheon multi-spectral targeting systems, electro-optic infra-red (EO/IR) sensors, synthetic aperture radars with ground moving target Indicator capa- bility, COMINT systems, embedded GPS/ INS systems with selective availability anti-spoofing modules, SATCOM anten- nas, Sierra Nevada electronic intelligence systems, and Leonardo’s SAGE electronic support measures (ESM) systems.
The SAGE 750 unit will provide in- telligence information on maritime and terrestrial radar emitters over a wide area, delivering instantaneous detec- tion and ELINT analysis.
Also included is a small package of training, telemetry, and other enabling systems for 250lb and 500lb Joint Direct Attack Munition and Paveway guided bombs and AGM-114 Hellfire air-to- ground missiles, as well as an MQ-9B simulator, test and ground support equipment, an initial spares package, technical publications, and an initial training support package.
According to Janes the strike-capable MQ-9B features nine external stores/ stations, is 11.7 metres long with a wing- span of 24 metres, and has a maximum operating altitude of 40,000 ft, a maxi- mum endurance of about 40 hours, and a maximum air speed of 210 knots.
Both the SkyGuardian and the Sea- Guardian variants of the MQ-9B are certified to operate in civilian airspace.
The future armed RPAS capability will be co-located at RAAF Edinburgh in a de facto ISR hub along with the P-8A, the MQ-4C Triton, the MC-55A Peregrine electronic warfare support aircraft, and the Distributed Ground Station intelligence unit, which is re- sponsible for the dissemination of data collected from RAAF ISR platforms.
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