News

Australia confirms services contract will be used for JP 66 target drone requirement

February 20, 2009

Peter La Franchi / Canberra

Australia’s Defence Materiel Organisation has confirmed that its Joint Project 66 phase 1 air defence target system (ADTS) competition will be predicated on a services requirement rather than an outright systems purchase.

A request for information for the requirement is to be released by 9 March, with this to be followed by a request for tender in June.

A bidders briefing for the RFI phase is to be held at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon airport, near Melbourne, on 12 March.

The DMO says the RFI will aim to establish “industry capacity to provide supporting products and services in a full "turnkey" target service solution that provides quality  training outcomes for the Australian Defence Force.”

Updated project information released by the DMO 19 February says ADTS will be required to support “exercise of all current and future ADF air defence weapons systems: ground to air, surface to air and air to air missile and gunnery systems.

“The ADTS capability will be supplied through service provision.  The service provided to the Commonwealth is expected to consist of flights of physical targets capable of emulating specified threats, along with target launch, recovery and control systems and any other required supporting services.

“All target assets are to be contractor owned, operated and maintained.  Australian government furnished materiel is expected to be limited to Australian government furnished facilities at range areas and may as an example consist of target launch pads, basic utilities (power and water) and temporary explosive ordnance storage during ADTS presentations.”

Given the “diverse range of ADF end-user requirements, it is anticipated that the target assets used may comprise up to three types of unmanned aerial target (UAT) otherwise referred to as target drones, and may also include use of manned aircraft, with or without towed targets. The Commonwealth does not intend to mandate use of any of the above target asset types or delivery methods.”

The DMO says that initial Australian government funding approvals – or “first pass” - for the project have now been secured with final acquisition approvals – or “second pass” scheduled to occur in 2010.

Australia will seek airworthiness certification for all target vehicles supplied under the proposed services contract. The DMO says that “all unmanned target vehicles flown in support of ADF training activities, regardless of ownership, are to be regulated by the ADF as unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and will be certified through issue of UAS operating permits.”