The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has issued a request for proposals (RFPs) for a, ground-based, medium-range, air-defence (GBMRAD) system for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
The RFP, which closes on 3 December, says Project Air 6502 Phase 1 aims to provide “a deployable GBMRAD capability designed to deter, deny, and/or defeat air and missile threats to the Joint Force and valuable assets”.
Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price said in a release that the RFP would improve the DoD's understanding of the capability as well as the likely availability and timelines of current and potential future systems that can meet Australia's needs.
“We are also seeking to understand how Australian industry can leverage the sovereign guided weapons enterprise in their proposals to harness existing or emerging local munitions production capabilities,” stated Price.
The GBMRAD system will sit above the stand-alone Land 19 Phase 7B short-range system being developed by Raytheon Australia and Kongsberg Australia. This is based on the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS), using the Raytheon AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile and the AIM-9X as effectors.
The GBMRAD capability will provide command-and-control systems, radars, and missile launchers, and will be able to operate independently or as a component of Australia's future Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) capability.
Requirements for the IAMD's Joint Air Battle Management System are currently being developed by the DoD and strategic partners Northrop Grumman Australia and Lockheed Martin Australia.
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