Australia buys high-tech drones to monitor South China Sea, Pacific

Australia will invest Aus$7 billion (US$5.2 billion) to develop and buy high-tech US drones for joint military operations and to monitor waters including the South China Sea, it said Tuesday.

Canberra has been embarking on its largest peacetime naval investment through a massive shipbuilding strategy that includes new submarines, offshore patrol vessels and frigates to shore up its defence capabilities.

As part of this, the government will spend Aus$1.4 billion to buy the first of six MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance drones, with the aircraft to enter service from mid-2023, complementing seven P-8A Poseidon planes currently in use.

"Together these aircraft will significantly enhance our anti-submarine warfare and maritime strike capability, as well as our search and rescue capability," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in a statement.

"This investment will protect our borders and make our region more secure."

The drones -- high-altitude, long endurance aircraft that can support missions for up to 24 hours and provide a 360-degree view of their surroundings for over 2,000 nautical miles -- will replace the AP-3C Orion spy plane.

"It gives us enormous capabilities in surveillance and reconnaissance," Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne told Sky News, adding that the total cost was about Aus$7 billion.

"Australia's responsible for about 10 percent of the world's surface into the Indian Ocean, the Pacific, down to Antarctica up into the South China Sea."

Pyne added that the drones would be used to monitor who was in Australian waters, other countries' naval vessels, for people-smuggling and illegal fishing.

The unmanned systems would also continue Australia's surveillance of the South China Sea, he added.

"Australia insists on its rights to be able to travel through the South China Sea, in international waters as we have always done, whether it is with surface ships or aircraft," Pyne said.

China claims sovereignty over virtually all the resource-endowed South China Sea, despite rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours.

The Australian navy has already conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea with other nations, including the US.


Related Links
UAV News - Suppliers and Technology


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.</span>

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once
credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly
paypal only

UAV NEWS
Israel fires at drone from Syria, forces retreat
Jerusalem (AFP) June 24, 2018
The Israeli air force on Sunday fired a missile at a drone approaching its northern border from Syria, causing it to turn back, the army said. "A Patriot aerial defence system missile was launched towards an unmanned aerial vehicle approaching the Israeli border from Syria," the army said. "As a result, the vehicle retreated from the border. A hit was not identified," it said in a statement, noting the drone had not crossed into Israeli territory. In February, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UA ... read more

Let's block ads! (Why?)



from Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense https://ift.tt/2K7M2Mt
via space News
Australia buys high-tech drones to monitor South China Sea, Pacific Australia buys high-tech drones to monitor South China Sea, Pacific Reviewed by Unknown on 04:01:00 Rating: 5

No comments:

Defense Alert. Powered by Blogger.