Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement, the Hon. Greg Combet MP, today announced that contracts have been signed with Rohde & Schwarz Australia for the acquisition and through life support of three Transportable Air Operations Towers (TAOTs).

Mr Combet said the towers will provide the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with a robust and mobile Air Traffic Control (ATC) capability, able to be deployed at short notice.

”These towers will be available to assist the local and international community during natural disasters and other humanitarian relief efforts,” Mr Combet said. 

“The towers will also be a highly mobile asset, able to be deployed and redeployed at short notice by air, road, rail and sea.

“The TAOTs consist of trailer mounted, hydraulically elevated ATC cabins capable of providing essential capabilities to ADF operations, exercises, bare base activations and temporary replacement of fixed ATC towers,” Mr Combet said.

The new towers will replace the current Air Force systems which first entered service in 1989.

The combined contract value is worth more than $26 million. A large component of the work will be carried out in Sydney by Rohde & Schwarz Australia.