Post by corsair67 on Jun 27, 2006 10:13:09 GMT 12
From The Australian.
Delay in RAAF surveillance plane
Patrick Walters, National security editor
June 27, 2006.
PROJECT Wedgetail, the RAAF's $3.5 billion long-range surveillance aircraft, faces delays of at least 18 months after suffering testing problems with radar and sensor computer systems.
The latest setback in one of the RAAF's most high-profile purchases came as a surprise to the Defence Department, which has touted Wedgetail as one of its best-managed projects.
The new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) planes, the first of which is due to enter service late next year, are claimed to provide state-of-the art air and maritime surveillance for the defence force over Australia's northern approaches.
The 2004 delivery schedule called for the first two aircraft to be fitted out in the US city of Seattle and the remaining four to be modified at RAAF Amberley, outside Ipswich in Queenlsand. The final plane was due to be handed over in early 2008.
Boeing, the prime contractor for the project, first hinted at problems with the highly complex software integration work earlier this year.
The first of the six modified Boeing 737-700 aircraft has been undergoing tests in Seattle, and had been scheduled to be delivered to the RAAF by the end of the year.
Under the Project Wedgetail deal, Defence signed a fixed-price contract with Boeing in 2000, with the contractor liable to pay for any cost overruns caused by systems integration problems.
Defence Minister Brendan Nelson is due to discuss the latest problem in the AEW&C project with Boeing executives during his visit to Washington this week.
Dr Nelson will be accompanied by Defence Materiel Organisation deputy chief executive Kim Gillis and the new head of the Wedgetail project, Air Vice Marshal Chris Deeble.
The trio will meet Jim Albaugh, the chief executive of Boeing Integrated Defence Systems.
The software integration problems - interlinking the radar and sensors with the rest of the plane's electronics - have emerged during flight testing of the plane's advanced radar and sensors, which was into its final phase before delivery to Australia late this year.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute warned in its annual defence budget briefing last month of looming problems with Project Wedgetail.
"Any large and technically complex military procurement project carries an element of risk, and AEW&C is no exception," the institute said. "The most challenging area will be integration of the radar and mission system computing software."
The Wedgetail's systems include radar, data links, communications, navigation, electronic warfare and countermeasures, as well as flight-control systems.
Each of the 737s contains 863 electronic boxes, 300km of extra wiring and four million lines of software code.
After initially deciding to buy four aircraft in 1999, the Howard Government increased the order to six in 2004, with the fleet to be based at Williamstown in NSW.
The extra planes enhance the Government's options for participation in future military operations with the US and other allies, which was not possible with a four-aircraft fleet.
The Wedgetail project has resulted in an estimated $400million worth of Australian industry involvement, including the investment by Boeing at Amberley.
Delay in RAAF surveillance plane
Patrick Walters, National security editor
June 27, 2006.
PROJECT Wedgetail, the RAAF's $3.5 billion long-range surveillance aircraft, faces delays of at least 18 months after suffering testing problems with radar and sensor computer systems.
The latest setback in one of the RAAF's most high-profile purchases came as a surprise to the Defence Department, which has touted Wedgetail as one of its best-managed projects.
The new airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) planes, the first of which is due to enter service late next year, are claimed to provide state-of-the art air and maritime surveillance for the defence force over Australia's northern approaches.
The 2004 delivery schedule called for the first two aircraft to be fitted out in the US city of Seattle and the remaining four to be modified at RAAF Amberley, outside Ipswich in Queenlsand. The final plane was due to be handed over in early 2008.
Boeing, the prime contractor for the project, first hinted at problems with the highly complex software integration work earlier this year.
The first of the six modified Boeing 737-700 aircraft has been undergoing tests in Seattle, and had been scheduled to be delivered to the RAAF by the end of the year.
Under the Project Wedgetail deal, Defence signed a fixed-price contract with Boeing in 2000, with the contractor liable to pay for any cost overruns caused by systems integration problems.
Defence Minister Brendan Nelson is due to discuss the latest problem in the AEW&C project with Boeing executives during his visit to Washington this week.
Dr Nelson will be accompanied by Defence Materiel Organisation deputy chief executive Kim Gillis and the new head of the Wedgetail project, Air Vice Marshal Chris Deeble.
The trio will meet Jim Albaugh, the chief executive of Boeing Integrated Defence Systems.
The software integration problems - interlinking the radar and sensors with the rest of the plane's electronics - have emerged during flight testing of the plane's advanced radar and sensors, which was into its final phase before delivery to Australia late this year.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute warned in its annual defence budget briefing last month of looming problems with Project Wedgetail.
"Any large and technically complex military procurement project carries an element of risk, and AEW&C is no exception," the institute said. "The most challenging area will be integration of the radar and mission system computing software."
The Wedgetail's systems include radar, data links, communications, navigation, electronic warfare and countermeasures, as well as flight-control systems.
Each of the 737s contains 863 electronic boxes, 300km of extra wiring and four million lines of software code.
After initially deciding to buy four aircraft in 1999, the Howard Government increased the order to six in 2004, with the fleet to be based at Williamstown in NSW.
The extra planes enhance the Government's options for participation in future military operations with the US and other allies, which was not possible with a four-aircraft fleet.
The Wedgetail project has resulted in an estimated $400million worth of Australian industry involvement, including the investment by Boeing at Amberley.
