Through a collaborative project with Australian industry, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is extending its use of simulation in training to ensure that future electronic warfare (EW) specialists are equipped to successfully fight at sea, Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne has announced.

The RAN is planning to deploy a common EW sensor suite across the future fleet, and a contract signed with Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems will see new maritime training systems being developed in Australia.

This contract is valued at about $4 million and will see the development of a tactical EW training system to provide tuition, assessment and qualification of EW practitioners across the full range of RAN ships from a single facility ashore, Minister Pyne said.

The modernisation of training at the School of Maritime Warfare at HMAS Watson in Sydney is expected to reduce the burden on ships at sea and provide a consistent training continuum.