Australia to receive first upgraded transportable air tower

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is set to receive its first upgraded transportable air operations tower (TAOT) unit.

The unit has completed the first tranche of a mid-life upgrade (MLU) programme that will eventually be rolled-out across the RAAF's fleet of TAOTs, electronics company Rohde & Schwarz Australia announced on 9 November in a statement.

As part of the MLU, the TAOT has been equipped with new Rohde & Schwarz-supplied internet protocol-based voice communications and recording, airfield monitoring and control, network and time synchronisation systems.

The tower has also been equipped with new user terminals, habitability improvements, and an uninterrupted power supply system. It has also been hardened with more security features, the company added.

The Australian Department of Defence signed an AUD26 million (USD19 million) contract with Rohde & Schwarz for three TAOTs in 2009. The first unit that underwent the MLU was delivered in 2012, said Rohde & Schwarz.

“The TAOTs will continue to be modernised as part of a spiral upgrade programme to assure the capability and extend their service life to 2030 and beyond,” Rohde & Schwarz Australia managing director Gareth Evans said in the statement.