Australia and USA Collaborating on New Small-Ship Radars

May 21, 2013 15:18 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff

Upgraded ANZAC concept
(click to enlarge)

In August 2005, Australia’s Ministry of Defence reported that Australia and the United States had joined forces by signing a joint agreement to develop active phased array radar technology in Australia. The total development cost was estimated to be approximately A$ 30 million over 3 years. The hope was that it would kick-start a new Australian electronics and systems integration industry, based on S-band active array and X-band phased-array technology, sized for and applied to smaller ships like frigates and corvettes.

Both countries will share the development costs, technical expertise and benefits of the CEAFAR (3D) active phased array radar. This technology is being developed by ACT electronics company CEA Technologies, and has become part of Australia’s ASMD project to make its ANZAC Class frigates survivable against supersonic cruise missiles. Other military and civil applications on land and sea are also possible, given the radar’s characteristics.

The CEAFAR / CEAMOUNT Solution

To date, planar phased array radars that can “stare” out over an entire coverage area, instead of rotating at the top of a ship, have been the domain of larger ships like cruisers and destroyers. As technologies have improved, medium and large sized frigates have begun to include these technologies as well. CEA Technologies’ pitch to the Australian DoD contended that advances in the power and size of modern electronics might allow this approach to be brought to smaller frigates and even corvettes, giving even these affordable ships strong protection against evolving threats, and an expanded role in future fleets. The niche was open, which meant that a successful program could give Australia a world-wide defense technology winner.

After some preliminary tests went well, an Australian government that was already wondering what to do with its new but already-overmatched ANZAC frigates began to pay attention.

The 4th generation S-band CEAFAR active phased array radar is designed to be supplemented with the X-band CEAMOUNT Solid State Continuous Wave Illuminator. Each has 1,024 transmit/receive (T/R) modules per “face,” and both are intended to be small enough for installation on corvettes or small frigates like the ANZAC Class.

CEAFAR’s 6 faces are each a 4×4 array of 30cm x 30cm “tiles,” where each tile is made up of 64 miniature, solid-state S-band transmit/receive modules, for a total of 6,144.

CEAMOUNT has 4 antenna faces, each of which is a 2×2 array of 20cm x 20cm tiles, where each tile has 256 T/R X-band modules, for a total of 4,096 T/R modules.

These active array radars also use digital beamforming techniques, rather than mechanical scans. That improves the ability to use multiple simultaneous beams that help improve performance in severe environmental clutter, and also provide improved search and targeting capabilities against very fast, maneuvering targets. Modern supersonic anti-ship missiles, for example.

The combined system of radar, illuminator and central equipment group of power supplies etc. is able to generate and continuously maintain more than 10 simultaneous fire control channels. That’s a very sharp improvement over Australia’s existing frigate capabilities; indeed, it is in the same range or better than some top-of-the-line air defense destroyers. Thales Nederland’s ICWI (Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination) technologies will offer further improvements, when used with the SM-2 Block IIIA missile.

As an additional feature, the radar is designed to be software based. That adds risk to the program in the short term, but in the long term, it creates a radar that can be improved via algorithm updates and processor improvements, rather than more expensive and time-consuming hardware changes.

Back in August 2005, Australian defense minister Sen. Hill congratulated CEA Technologies and the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation for the work done to bring about this joint project, and noted that:

“The program will allow further development of the CEA radar technology for possible use in medium to long range air warfare and ballistic missile defence. The technology can also be applied to smaller ships and other Australian Defence Force air surveillance assets… [and] also has potential to be used in a range of US programs including the Littoral Combat Ship and other new ship programs, land and land mobile programs, as well as replacing legacy systems on some US ships… We have a very close working relationship with the US Navy on this project, with US staff embedded in the project team.”

Marrying a radar to any individual ship class is an exercise in specific design. A great deal of study has gone into the mounting of CEAFAR’s 6 faces and the CEAMOUNT illuminator’s 4 faces. That process has finally settled on an option that shifts the citadel to roughly mid-center along the length of the ship, with the SPS-49 horizon search radar sitting atop the housing. The mount is placed as high as possible without compromising the ship’s stability, and this solution is reported to have a range of more than 30 nautical miles.

The ANZAC upgrade program will use a “1 + 7″ format, in which the first ship (HMAS Perth) will be upgraded and trialed before the remaining 7 get the go-ahead for upgrades.

Note that in order to be useful for long range air warfare and ballistic missile defense per Sen. Hill’s vision, these phased array radars would need to be integrated with other ships. As is the case with the U.S. Navy’s Co-operative Engagement Capability (CEC).

CEC works especially well with the AEGIS radar & combat system, which will be present in Australia’s new SEA 4000 Air Warfare Destroyers. CEC allows advance ships to track and engage threats beyond the firing ship’s radar range, and advanced versions of the Standard (SM-2 Block III+) missiles, which Australia is already buying for its FFG-7 frigates and Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers will give Australia that option.

The question is whether CEC or something similar will also be present in Australia’s upgraded ANZAC class, in order to take full advantage of the ships’ new radars, and give the RAN maximum flexibility and firepower.

At present, system level grooming and integration are underway for the CEA radars. So is construction, and the first 2 deliverable Sea 1448 systems were due for formal delivery in December 2009. First ship installation work should start in early 2009 after final acceptance testing, with a first of class delivery target of June 2011. The CEA radars will be installed along with Sagem’s Vampir NG IRST (Infra-red search and track) for long-range passive surveillance, and an upgrade to Saab’s 9LV Combat Management System.

Formal sea trials of HMAS Perth began in early 2011, and ended successfully in May 2011. Conversions are underway for the remaining ANZAC frigates, and Australia is considering this radar set for its future frigates as well.

Contracts and Key Events

March 2013: ASMD Update. Asia Pacific Defence Reporter covers the ASMD ANZAC upgrade program. As of Feb 7/13, A$ 654.143 million has been spent on the ASMD program, or about 62% of the total budget. HMAS Arunta is set to finish installation by Oct 30/13, with at-sea acceptance testing done by May 9/14. All ANZAC frigates are scheduled for upgrade by the end of 2016, with HMAS Toowoomba scheduled to finish the program by coming out of at-sea testing in the 1st half of 2017.

Abroad, CEA CEO Rob Forbes cites New Zealand and its ANZAC fleet as an obvious candidate, though discussions with the RNZN haven’t translated into a program at the ministry. Canada’s Future Surface Combatant program is another potential opportunity, and he adds “considerable interest from the US,” reportedly including ground-based versions. We’re not sure where that would fit, given existing USMC (G/ATOR), US Army, and USAF (3DELRR) programs. APDR, via CEA [PDF]

September 2012: ASMD Update. Asia Pacific Defence Reporter magazine covers the ASMD ANZAC upgrade program. HMAS Perth has now coupled its earlier RIM-162 ESSM defensive missile firings with RGM-84 Harpoon Block II shots, giving the frigates new anti-ship and land-attack capabilities. The frigate also participated in the August 2012 RIMPAC exercises with the US Navy and a number of pacific fleets, and took home the Gunnery Championship trophy. That appears to have spawned some international interest in the new radar set.

HMAS Arunta has been in dock since April 2012, preparing for conversion, with BAE Australia in the lead role. Orders have reportedly been released to suppliers for 7 ship sets of materials, with 90% of purchase orders released. CEA is working on its 2nd radar ship set, and is looking to follow-on batches of the US Littoral Ship Program as an opportunity.

Saab is working on full radar control, and Air Intercept Control mode, RIM-162 ESSM integration in all modes that also allows more missiles to be controlled at once, and full integration with the radar/GPS guided Harpoon Block 2. These are all combat system upgrades, with tests and trials scheduled for mid-2014. APDR, via CEA [PDF].

May 30/12: An Australian navy release adds a couple of crucial details concerning the ASMD upgrades:

“HMAS Perth was recently upgraded and its new capability was successfully shown off to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) at the annual Esquimalt Victoria Day Parade. The total project cost is in excess of $650 million, including the funds already spent upgrading HMAS Perth. The Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) remaining seven frigates will be upgraded by 2017.”

May 8/11: Testing. HMAS Perth’s testing period is successfully completed, after firing its first RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile at a remotely piloted air target above Jervis Bay. It’s fair to say that this firing also launches the new radars as contenders in the global naval marketplace.

Saab later issues a release, touting the role played by its upgraded 9LV 453 Mk 3E combat system. Related upgrades included new 30-inch MS Windows touchscreen consoles in as redesigned operations room, large-screen displays, redundant gigabit LANs, integration of new inputs like Sagem’s Vampir IRST and Link-16, and advanced control modes for the RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles, which take full advantage of the radar’s capabilities. As important as the radars are, the combat system plays a key role in any ship – and Saab’s popular 9LV is now tested with CEAFAR/ CEAMOUNT radars. RAN photo | Saab release.

May 3/11: Testing. The Royal Australian Navy announces that:

“HMAS Perth (Captain Malcolm Wise) has emerged from her Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) upgrade with a truly unique profile and has proven her mettle in the last two months of sea acceptance testing trials in the West Australian Exercise Area… now heading east to complete the trials in the East Australian Exercise Area and conduct rangings on the US Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility off the coast of Hawaii… With all upgrade trials due to be complete in June, Perth will be partnering with a number of Australian and US ships in the joint US-Australian exercise, Talisman Sabre 11 off the coast of Queensland in July.”

Oct 23/10: Testing. The Australian reports that HMAS Perth slipped her moorings at the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson, just south of Fremantle, and sailed into Cockburn Sound for the first time with its all-new Australian radar system:

“Defence sources told The Australian HMAS Perth will be tied up at the naval base at HMAS Stirling while the new radars and heavily upgraded Saab Australia combat system undergo Harbour Acceptance Trials. The new radars will be set to work for the first time next month, according to a source in the project, but the ship won’t start its formal sea trials until late February [2011].”

March 31/09: ASMD Contractors. Thales Nederland announces that Australia’s ANZAC frigates will be fitted with its Mid-Course Guidance and Sampled Data Homing function technologies, as a complement to their new active array radar systems.

The technology was developed to accompany Thales’ own active array EMPAR radar, and is based on Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination (ICWI). ICWI guidance helps a single missile control radar guide several missiles simultaneously to several threats, instead of having a limited number of illuminators that can each focus on just one missile and one threat at a time. This has substantial benefits in the event of saturation attacks. Other navies buying Thales ICWI technologies include Germany and the Netherlands (F124 frigates), Denmark (future patrol ships), and Japan (future helicopter carrier and destroyers).

Feb 17/09: Update. During a speech to the 2009 Australian Defence Magazine conference, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement Greg Combet has this to say about the ASMD project:

“Another project that has experienced significant delay has been the ANZAC Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) Project. The ASMD project involves a comprehensive upgrade of the ANZAC Frigates including the addition of new phased array radar technology designed by local Australian company CEA Technologies.

This is an exciting project involving some of the world’s best radar technologies, however it has also experienced some delays and budget pressures. I was pleased to announce last year that the project has now been able to successfully demonstrate CEA Technologies’ CEAFAR active phased array multi-function radar on HMAS Perth at sea. This is a significant milestone and forms part of the Commonwealth’s new risk mitigation strategy that aims to see the technology fully demonstrated before it is deployed to all of the frigates. “

Nov 25/08: Testing. CEA Technologies announces that its CEAFAR active phased-array multi-function radar has successfully completed at-sea risk reduction and data collection tests while installed on the ANZAC frigate HMAS Perth:

“Demonstration activities included tactical air and surface scenarios involving multiple aircraft and ships. Small targets that are representative of anti-ship missiles and weapon systems were employed. Tasks were conducted in littoral and open ocean maritime conditions and included the complex electromagnetic environments associated with multiple warships and aircraft… The at-sea demonstration follows a successful land-based demonstration in early November.”

On the other hand, Australia’s DoD does note that this project is behind schedule, and under scrutiny. Australian DoD | CEA Technologies.

Nov 6/08: Testing. A successful land-based demonstration of a production CEAFAR radar occurs at CEA Technologies’ Canberra facilities. CEAFAR fixed-face active phased array radar operated 2 ‘faces’ to track air targets in a complex land environment.

This test paves the way for at-sea work, and also fits into CEA and NGC’s larger plans for the technology. They believe that it may be scalable to land and even air-based applications, and so this test is a first step in that direction as well. CEA release [PDF]

Dec 19/07: Testing. CEA Technologies announces [PDF] that they have successfully achieved the required “through air” (i.e. clear conditions) radar performance with CEAFAR. CEA also implemented and demonstrated important aspects of its digital beam forming technology not scheduled for this stage of the program.

The firm’s release adds that the company is “actively engaged in the pursuit of international Naval programs in North America and Europe with opportunities worth in excess of AUD250M.”

Jan 22/07: Update. Jane’s Navy International reports:

“Australia’s CEA Technologies is continuing to progress engineering development of the CEAFAR active phased-array radar system for the Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) upgrade of the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) eight ANZAC-class frigates. Selection of CEAFAR E/F-band phased-array radar and associated CEAMOUNT I/J-band missile illuminator for the ASMD upgrade (under Project SEA 1448) was confirmed by the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) in September 2005. This endorsement followed successful land-based and shipborne trials of the CEAFAR system over the past two-and-a-half years…”

Additional Readings

• CEA Technologies – CEAFAR Active Phased Array Radar

• CEA Technologies – CEAMOUNT Illuminator

• The Australian (Oct 23/10) – New radar allows ‘channels of fire’

• Australian Defence Magazine (December 2007 – January 2008) – Ship Defence Capabilities Outweigh Program Risks [PDF]

• Australian Defence Business Review Magazine (Nov – Dec 2007) – New Radar Horizon Set For Anzacs & Beyond [PDF]

Australia: Other Naval Surface Combatant Programs

• DID – Aussie Anti-Air Umbrella: The Hobart Class Ships. The 3-ship high-end fleet above the ANZAC-ASMD frigates. Their radars are not as advanced, but they have size, power, CEC networkability, and proven ballistic missile defense growth on their side.

• DID – Australia’s Hazard(ous) Frigate Upgrade. Their FFG-7 Oliver Hazard Perry Class ships were a nightmare to upgrade. This 4-ship fleet is the tier below the ANZACs.

Competitors

• Defense Update – EL/M-2248 MF-STAR Naval Multi-Mission Radar. A similar radar offering from Israel’s IAI Elta.

• EADS Cassidian – TRS-4D

• DID – Flexible G/ATORs: The USMC’s Multi-Mission AESA Ground Radars. Not a competitor yet, but Northrop Grumman is considering the TPS-80 as a future naval radar for smaller ships.