The State Department approved a possible $115 million total Foreign Military Sales (FMS) request to Australia for AEA-18G Electronic Warfare Range System and related support, equipment, and training.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the potential sale on Dec. 2.
Australia requested additional funding for a previously implemented case for two Electronic Warfare Range Systems to conduct electronic warfare and surveillance training within the country’s borders. The original FMS was valued at over $79 million. This includes non-major defense equipment (MDE) costs for all support elements required to provide for system integration testing, tools, and test equipment, support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications, operations manuals, technical documents, personnel training, U.S. government and contractor technical assistance, and other related elements of logistics and program support.
This new request for nearly $36 million in non-MDE funding to the basic case will provide for unfunded requirements to meet the scope of the basic case as well as provide for the sale of additional classified technical data and software, system integration and testing, tools and test equipment, support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications, operations manuals, and technical documents, personnel training, U.S. government and contractor technical assistance, and other related elements of engineering, logistics, and program management.
The sale amendment pushes the original contract value above the notification threshold and requires a notification for the entire case, DSCA said.
The primary contractors will be Leidos [LDOS] and General Dynamics [GD].
Australia will use the equipment range to enhance its electronic warfare (EW) capabilities as a deterrent to regional threats and strengthen homeland defense. DSCA highlighted the importance to U.S. security of improving the security of a major non-NATO ally.
“By enabling Australian Defense Force (ADF) ranges, the U.S. Government will ensure consistency in training across platforms and theaters, whether the exercises are conducted in the United State or in Australia, where U.S. aircrews will be able to participate in training exercises alongside their Australian counterparts,” the agency said in a statement.