Defence Minister Senator Linda Reynolds has announced a new maritime underwater tracking range (MUTR) will built off the coast of Western Australia to replace the range that was decommissioned in 2012.

Designed to provide the Navy with an instrumented sub-surface tracking capability to provide information on the performance of its maritime warfare assets and tactics, a tender for the new range has been issued and is aimed at acquiring a sovereign capability designed and built by Australian industry.

“By investing in technology which will strengthen our understanding of the best and most effective way to use our weapons, decoys and platforms, we are enabling our submarines and other maritime warfighting capabilities to operate with superiority while protecting Australia’s interests,” Minister Reynolds said in a statement.

“Similar to a three-dimensional laboratory, the range will allow our Navy, our allies and partners to fine tune our anti-submarine warfare tactics to deliver the technology edge needed in the future,” she added. “The delivery of this sovereign capability is also expected to provide a much needed boost for Australian industry by creating opportunities for businesses to participate in the installation and ongoing sustainment of the range.”

Defence issued a request for information for Project SEA 1350 Phase 3 MUTR in April 2019, and conducted a number of industry briefs before the RFI closed in July 2019. A Request for Tender (RFT) was released on AusTender in November 2020, and closes on January 31, 2021.