Combat contract let
It will provide SATEPS an Australian invention giving unparalleled capabilities in detecting and locating other submarines

HMAS Rankin at sea.

A $22.5 million contract has been signed for the replacement combat system for the Collins Class submarines.

RADM Kevin Scarce, head of the Defence Maritime Systems Division, announced that a contract has been signed with the Australian firm Sonartech Atlas for selected sonar capabilities.

He said that the contract is the first of four major contracts to be finalised over coming months.

“The contract with Sonartech Atlas represents a small but critical part of the new system,” RADM Scarce said.

“They will provide the Submarine Acoustic Transitory Event Processing System (SATEPS) - a unique Australian invention which provides unparalleled capabilities in detecting other submarines and pinpointing their location.”

The $400 million dollar replacement combat system project was agreed by Government last year. It provides for a significant capability enhancement on the existing combat system, identified in 1999 as the principal technical challenge for the Collins Class. It also provides for further improvements to the sonar processing solution currently installed, until the replacement system is introduced.

The replacement combat system will be sourced through the United States Navy. It is based on the Raytheon CCS Mark II tactical command and control system that is currently being used by the United States Navy.

A Foreign Military Sales case to supply the CCS Mark II has been agreed with the United States Government.

A further three major contracts — covering other sonar, servers and hardware and installation — will be signed over coming months.

This schedule provides for the replacement combat system to be introduced progressively as part of the submarines’ routine docking program from 2006.

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