PETER LA FRANCHI / CANBERRA
The Australian government has quietly approved funding for further development of the classified Joint Project 2044 military space-based surveillance programme following initial go-ahead in mid-2002.
The project is believed to be based on Australia receiving radar surveillance data from Singapore's planned constellation of intelligence satellites. Singapore finalised a deal with Israel in late 2000 for the supply of an undisclosed number of satellites equipped with both electro-optic and radar surveillance payloads. It was last publicly disclosed by the Australian defence department in June 2001 and was predicated on government funding approval of Phase 2 in 2004.
Existing funding approvals indicate the project underwent a major overhaul in late 2001 or early 2002. Work also continued on Phase 1 of the project during the 2002-3 Australian financial year.
The existence of the project was first flagged in 1995, with defence documents released in June of that year indicating that Australia would develop its own basic level surveillance satellites that carried both optical and synthetic-aperture radar sensors.
Source: Flight International
