Kongsberg Australia has announced that the first two Fire Distribution Centres (FDC) for the Australian Army’s Project LAND 19 Phase 7B NASAMS short-range ground-based air defence (SRGBAD) system have successfully passed factory acceptance tests.

Described by KONGSBERG as the “most advanced and integrated C4 system ever delivered to Army”, the truck-mounted FDC will provide Air Defence Command, Control, Communications, and Computing (C4) functionality to manage the NASAMS’ engagement operations through centralised control of NASAMS sensors, launchers, missiles, and communication systems.

The acceptance test of the FDCs was conducted at Raytheon Australia’s Centre for Joint Integration (CJI) in Adelaide where the various fixed and mobile elements of NASAMS are being integrated. Each FDC comprises over 10,000 components, most of which are sourced in Australia including from companies including Eylex, Daronmont Technologies, REDARC Electronics, and MILSPEC Manufacturing.

“The Factory Acceptance Testing involved the conduct of over 2,200 physical, configuration and system test activities performed over four weeks, and I am immensely proud of what Kongsberg Defence Australia has achieved during these difficult times,” Kongsberg Defence Australia’s General Manager, John Fry said in a company release.

“This is a significant milestone in the development of the KONGSBERG’s Australian production capability,” Fry added. “It demonstrates our ability to undertake the production and integration of complex C4 and fire control systems, and shows that we are able to support all of KONGSBERG’s programs and capabilities in Australia and the region. This milestone also represents a significant contribution to the Strategic Industry Capability Priority of Integrated Air and Missile Defence that was recently announced by the Minister for Defence Industry.”

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Integrated Defence Systems Executive Vice President, Kjetil Reiten Myhra welcomed the successful Factory Acceptance Test of FDC1 and FDC2, acknowledging this major success is the product of outstanding collaboration between the KONGSBERG teams in Australia and Norway.

“Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has been committed to the establishment of an Australian business to create sovereign capability for the production and sustainment of NASAMS,” Myhra said. “We have been very impressed by what Kongsberg Defence Australia has achieved with its growing team and new Australian supply chain during a pandemic-interrupted period.”