Incumbent service provider Surveillance Australia has been selected by the Australian government as the preferred tenderer for the A$1 billion ($750 million) Civil Maritime Surveillance 04 (CMS04) contract – the largest surveillance contract in the world.
Cobham-owned Surveillance Australia’s selection comes after a three-year evaluation by the Australian Customs Service of all civil maritime surveillance options, including conventional aircraft solutions, as well as unmanned air vehicles and satellites.
More than 60 companies registered interest in the contract as full or part service providers at the beginning of the process and Surveillance Australia was selected over strong bids from major aerospace companies, including Raytheon.
Peter Nottage, managing director of Surveillance Australia parent National Air Support, says there are a number of issues still to be resolved, but it and the government are targeting the first quarter of next year for contract signature.
Under the new contract, Surveillance Australia will operate 10 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft from January 2008 to 2020. The aircraft will provide all-weather, day and night electronic surveillance of Australia’s maritime exclusive economic zone. The company currently operates five Dash 8s on Coastwatch services, having retained the contract since 1995.
The service provider supplies all support systems and infrastructure for the contract, including aircrew, training, bases and maintenance.
Although Nottage declines to detail Surveillance Australia’s CMS04 bid, it is understood to have included UAV and satellite imagery options in response to the government’s interest in new technology solutions for the future. The Adelaide-based company has an exclusive agreement with Canadian satellite imagery company Radarsat International, in addition to a partnership with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems regarding the Mariner UAV.
EMMA KELLY/PERTH
Source: Flight International
