Raytheon and KONGSBERG providing short range ground based air defence for Australia
(AUD) $1.5 Billion system provides world leading force protection

MAWSON LAKES, South Australia (25 March 2019) – Today Raytheon Australia and KONGSBERG Defence & Aerospace joined Defence Minister, the Hon Christopher Pyne and South Australian Premier, the Hon. Steven Marshall, to announce that the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System, NASAMS, was selected for the Australian Government’s Short Range Ground Based Air Defence program known as LAND19 Phase 7B.

NASAMS is a short to medium range air defence system owned by nine countries and has been integrated into the U.S. National Capital Region’s air defence system since 2005. In addition to the U.S., Norway, Finland, Spain, The Netherlands, Oman, Lithuania, Indonesia and one undisclosed country have chosen to depend on NASAMS for homeland defence and the defence of critical assets.

“NASAMS and Raytheon’s unique EO/IR passive sensor gives Australia one of the most advanced short range ground based defense systems in the world,” said Michael Ward, Managing Director of Raytheon Australia.”

The NASAMS acquisition brings transformational change to the Army’s existing force protection capability, including a progression from man-portable GBAD capability to a fully networked and distributed system. These advancements allow the Army to counter complex air threats beyond visual range and significantly increases protection coverage for Australian soldiers. The system will eventually become the inner tier of Australia’s integrated air and missile defence capability.

System integration and final assembly will take place in the new Raytheon Australia Centre for Joint Integration, which will be built in the defence industry precinct of Mawson Lakes with a (AUD) $50 million investment from Raytheon. At the groundbreaking today, Mr. Ward thanked the South Australian Premier for providing support from the government of South Australia for the facility.

The centre will be the company’s first production facility in Australia. Raytheon Australia anticipates the creation of approximately 200 jobs over the next year during the construction of the building and an estimated 300 additional jobs in the coming years for those working on LAND19 and other integrated air and missile defence projects, including the combat system upgrades to the Hobart Class destroyers.

Raytheon Australia and KONGSBERG are building sovereign capability in this area as evidenced by their national industry roadshow where the companies engaged with almost 200 local firms. Additionally, Raytheon Australia has ambitions to export elements of the system from the new Adelaide facility. 

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Raytheon Company, with 2018 sales of $27 billion and 67,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 97 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I® products and services, sensing, effects and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter.

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