Zachary Keck
In response to the threat posed by North Korea, Australia has decided to equip its future frigates with an advanced missile defense system.
Speaking at a maritime conference in Sydney this week, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that the nine frigates Australia is purchasing will feature the American-made Aegis combat management system. “Recent events in our region have proven that Australia’s future frigates must be equipped to defend Australia from the threat of medium and long-range missile attacks,” Turnbull said, the Australian reported. “This technology will enable the future frigates to engage missiles at long range.”
According to the U.S. Navy, the Aegis combat system “is a centralized, automated, command-and-control (C2) and weapons control system that was designed as a total weapon system, from detection to kill. The heart of the system is the AN/SPY-1, an advanced, automatic detect and track, multi-function phased-array radar.” It can engage over a hundred enemy targets at ranges of around 150km. The Australian frigates will feature a unique tactical interface built by Saab Australia, which will allow the Aegis system to integrate with computerized radars developed by the Australian firm, CEA Technologies. The frigates may also employ local rockets.
http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/watch-out-north-korea-one-americas-most-critical-allies-22636
