UK looks to CEAFAR for Navy

The Minister for Defence Industry, Christopher Pyne today welcomed the announcement that the British Government will look at the feasibility of fitting cutting-edge Australian radar on future British warships.

The announcement made by the Under Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, Harriett Baldwin during her visit to Adelaide today is for a capability study to fit CEA Technologies’ ‘CEAFAR’ radar to British ships and it will begin early next year. The radar is already in-service with the Australian Navy.

The decision came after the Australia/UK Defence Industry Dialogue which took place in the United Kingdom last week.  The partnership is seen as a vehicle for accelerating co-operation between the two nations.

Minister for Defence Industry the Hon Christopher Pyne MP said the announcement was an important follow up to last week’s dialogue and showed the continuing strengthening of defence industry ties between the two countries.

“Australia and the United Kingdom have much that can be gained from increasing cooperation around defence industry,” Mr Pyne said.

“A great outcome of last week’s dialogue, announced today, is the possibility of the cutting edge Australian CEA radars being used for the future UK Warships.

“Canberra’s CEA Technologies designs and manufactures advanced phased array radars for our Navy’s eight Anzac Class Frigates as part of their Anti-Ship Missile Defence Upgrade Program and the recently announced Long Range Air Search Radar replacement.

“The Turnbull Government has also mandated that Australia’s future frigates will have a CEA radar as one of its core capabilities.

“I’m excited by the possibility of sharing this great capability with one of our closest and oldest allies and the landmark export opportunity this presents for Australia’s burgeoning defence industry,” he said.

Whilst in Australia, Minister Baldwin also flew in an E7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft and drove a Thales Bushmaster vehicle to deepen her understanding of these capabilities.

The meeting also discussed Australia’s soon to be released Defence Export Strategy; as well as the UK’s recently released National Shipbuilding Strategy.

Source: Pyne Media