Australia Considers Sole-Source Global Hawk Purchase

Published: Jul 03, 2006
Source: www.flightglobal.com



Australia's cabinet National Security Committee (NSC) is to consider the sole-source acquisition of Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned air vehicles at a meeting to be held in Canberra on 10 July.

The option is being presented by the Australian Department of Defence as the lowest-risk approach to meeting the Royal Australian Air Force’s Project Air 7000 HALE UAV requirement.

NSC consideration of the project has twice been delayed this year, but sources say the cabinet and the DoD now want to see a firm decision emerge to ensure the system enters service between 2009 and 2011.

The DoD’s submission proposes three acquisition options, including the sole-source approach. Option two is for Australia to formally link its HALE requirements to the US Navy’s delayed Broad Area Maritime Surveillance programme, potentially paving the way for that project to evolve into a co-operative multinational procurement with shared industrial participation. Option three is for a restricted competition between Aerovironment, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Northrop Grumman.continue..