Raytheon [RTN] finished the design, development, and testing of its Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) system and is ready for U.S. Navy certification to use in international installation, the company said Wednesday.
This sensor netting system distributes sensor-derived information to all CEC units. The CEC has been use on U.S. ships since the 1990s and is still being installed on new U.S. Navy Aegis destroyers like the USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) (Defense Daily, Sept. 11).
When combined with Aegis, the CEC allows groups of ships and aircraft to link their radars to provide a better overall composite picture of the battle space.
This new CEC testing will allow the system to be installed on the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Hobart.
“The addition of CEC is a major building block for Australia in their defense against anti-air warfare threats in the Pacific Region,” U.S. Navy Capt. Jonathan Garcia, CEC major program manager at PEO IWS, said in a statement.
Garcia highlighted the delivery of the CEC to Australia will expand its use internationally and increase U.S. Navy interoperability with the Australian military.
The certified hardware and software for CEC is planned to be transferred to Australia over the next several months for installation on the HMAS Hobart (DDG-39), and NUSHIP Brisbane (DDG-41).
After initial installation, the system will undergo an extensive integration, test, and evaluation period. Raytheon will support this process as well as sea trials. The company said this is similar to the support it provided for the U.S. Navy.