Selex ES (Finmeccanica group) has been awarded a contract worth 188 million Australian dollars (about 125 million euros) by the Australian Defense Materiel Organization (DMO), on behalf of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The company will provide equipment and support for the modernization of the communications systems of the eight ANZAC-class frigates of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), as part of Phase 4 of the SEA 1442 programme. The first upgraded vessel is expected to enter service in 2018.
The support services for this new capability will be provided by Selex ES Australia Pty, a Melbourne-based company incorporated under Australian law. The latter was established to play a leading role in program delivery and support and will be the focal point for the transfer of skills and know-how to Australian industry.
Upgrading the operational capabilities of the ANZAC-class frigates will lay the foundation for building a maritime architecture that will be central to the RAN's future tactical communications. It will also contribute to digitize and 'network' the Australian Armed Forces – concludes the note – in the marine environment based on the concept of network-centric warfare.
