HENSOLDT Australia, subsidiary of Germany-based European defense group, has achieved a significant milestone in the AIR5431 Phase 2 program by deploying a new Air Traffic Control (ATC) sensor at the Army Aviation Centre Oakey. This marks the attainment of Initial Operational Capability for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), HENSOLDT said in a press release Tuesday.
Project AIR5431 Phase 2 aims to replace the outdated Australian Defence Air Traffic System and Alenia surveillance sensors situated at various fixed bases of the Australian Defence Force throughout the country. These sensors are crucial for surveillance during fixed base flying operations and contribute to the National Air Traffic Management Surveillance Infrastructure Plan (NASIP).
Mark Novak, Managing Director of the Australian subsidiary said HENSOLDT Australia is delighted by the achievement of this important milestone in the delivery of this critical air surveillance capability to Defence.
“This milestone represents the culmination of significant effort on the part of the Commonwealth and HENSOLDT teams to this point and we look forward to delivering the remainder of the capability over the coming months,” Novak was cited as saying by the company statement.
Further sites are set to be completed by the end of this year, and the entire project is slated for final delivery by September 2025. This encompasses the advanced Operational Maintenance Trainer (OMT), crafted in Germany by HENSOLDT and overseen in Australia by HENSOLDT Australia Pty Ltd for operation and maintenance.
HENSOLDT will continue to offer support through a sustainment agreement following completion.