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BAE Systems Australia secures EW contract for Joint Strike Missile

Adelaide-based BAE Systems Australia has secured a $160 million contract for the delivery of its Passive Radio Frequency Sensor (PRS) into Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace’s global Joint Strike Missile (JSM) program. BAE Systems Australia is the sole global supplier of the PRS to Kongsberg.

The contract award will see BAE Systems’ Edinburgh Parks facility in South Australia triple current production to over 1000 PRS units over the next six years as Kongsberg delivers Joint Strike Missiles to Australia, the US Air Force, Japan and a growing number of partner nations.  Kongsberg Australia will establish a facility at Williamtown, NSW, to manufacture both the JSM and its surface-launched sibling, the Naval Strike Missile (NSM)

 “The Passive Radio Frequency Sensor is highly innovative technology designed, developed, and built in Australia,” said Andrew Gresham, Managing Director of Defence Delivery at BAE Systems Australia. “It is a world leading capability and a critical enhancing component of the Joint Strike Missile.

BAE Systems is Australia’s specialist manufacturer of missile control and guidance systems with a heritage in Electronic Warfare (EW) dating back decades.  Kongsberg’s JSM is highly effective against maritime and land targets and is the only anti-ship cruise missile that can be carried internally within the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

“This is a significant achievement for our manufacturing teams at Edinburgh Parks and an innovation success story that has required more than a decade of commitment from our employees and our partner Kongsberg,” said Gresham. “The contract illustrates our company’s focus on investing in Research & Development and turning the outcomes into real cutting-edge technology for use on the battlefield.”

The partnership between BAE Systems and Kongsberg to develop the PRS dates back to 2009 when the two companies conducted a study into EW applications and products for the JSM. This was followed by sponsored studies assessing feasibility, power and weight, as well as investment by Commonwealth of Australia and the Norwegian Ministry of Defence.

The supply agreement is underscored by a long-term commitment from both BAE Systems and Kongsberg to sign a longer-term cooperative agreement out to 2040.

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