By Peter La Franchi in Canberra
Australia’s cabinet National Security Committee (NSC) is to consider the sole-source acquisition of Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned air vehicles at a meeting to be held in Canberra on 10 July. The option is being presented by the Australian Department of Defence as the lowest-risk approach to meeting the Royal Australian Air Force’s Project Air 7000 HALE UAV requirement.
NSC consideration of the project has twice been delayed this year, but sources say the cabinet and the DoD now want to see a firm decision emerge to ensure the system enters service between 2009 and 2011.
The DoD’s submission proposes three acquisition options, including the sole-source approach. Option two is for Australia to formally link its HALE requirements to the US Navy’s delayed Broad Area Maritime Surveillance programme, potentially paving the way for that project to evolve into a co-operative multinational procurement with shared industrial participation. Option three is for a restricted competition between Aerovironment, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Northrop Grumman.
Aerovironment is proposing a version of its Global Observer fuel-cell-powered aircraft, while General Atomics is to deploy a standard MQ-9 Predator B UAV to Australia in September to support a contracted Air 7000 capability demonstration, rather than the Mariner demonstrator used to support earlier trials in Canada and the USA. The UAV will be shipped to Australia, and be configured to be similar to a Predator B used to carry out a further round of US Navy maritime demonstrations last month. The NASA-owned Altair UAV normally used by General Atomics as a Mariner demonstrator will be supporting fire-watch missions in the southern USA at the same time as the planned Australian flight programme.
IAI is offering a version of the Strength HALE aircraft developed for the Israeli defence force in conjunction with Boeing Australia. The companies are also teamed to meet an Australian Army tactical UAV requirement.
Australia’s Defence Materiel Organisation held a restricted industry briefing for potential contenders in late April. The cabinet submission gives equal weight to all three options, leaving final decisions to the NSC.
Source: Flight International
