Upgraded electronic surveillance fit rolls out for ANZAC frigates

[Zarvan]

HMAS Warramunga is the first RAN ANZAC-class frigate to receive the ES-3701 ES fit. Source: Commonwealth of Australia

Key Points

• HMAS Warramunga is the first RAN ANZAC frigate to receive the Exelis ES-3701 electronic support system being acquired under Project SEA 1448 Phase 4A
• Jenkins Engineering Defence Systems and Ultra Electronics Avalon Systems are in-country industry partners

Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ANZAC-class frigates have started to receive an upgraded tactical electronic surveillance capability under Project SEA 1448 Phase 4A.

HMAS Warramunga is the first of the eight ANZAC frigates to receive the new fit, which based on the Exelis ES-3701 electronic support (ES) system. The project also includes the provision of ES mission system emulators for training and a ground based support segment for ES mission system reprogramming.

Project SEA 1448 Phase 4A was established to replace the legacy Thales Centaur ES system, and so provide the ANZAC frigates with improved passive situational awareness and early threat warning. It additionally addresses the ES requirement for the RAN's two new multipurpose landing helicopter dock ships HMAS Canberra and HMAS Adelaide .

Project SEA 1448 Phase 4A received Second Pass Approval from government in February 2013. A contract valued at more than USD102 million was signed with Exelis the following month.

Jenkins Engineering Defence Systems (JEDS) and Ultra Electronics Avalon Systems (UEAS) are local industry partners to Exelis for the development of the customised ES-3701 variant specific to the RAN. JEDS has been given responsibility as in-country support partner (assuming Authorised Engineering Organisation status), and is also producing the low-band receiver subsystem.

UEAS is supplying a narrow-band receiver subsystem based on its proprietary MDRx digital receiver. This will perform an automatic electronic surveillance role using phase DF, as well as a 'fine grain' electronic intelligence function.

Factory acceptance testing of the first ES-3701 system acquired under Project SEA 1448 Phase 4A was completed in March 2015. Delivery of production systems and installation of the capability across the Anzac class began in the third of quarter 2015 with the ship fit to Warramunga .

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Upgraded electronic surveillance fit rolls out for ANZAC frigates - IHS Jane's 360