Saab’s 9LV combat system has been chosen as the combat system for the forthcoming SEA 1180 Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), bringing to five the number of RAN ship classes the system will be integrated with.
Already in service with the Anzac class frigates and Canberra class LHDs, 9LV will also be integrated onto the new Navantia-designed AORs and, as well as the OPVs, will form a key element of the SEA 5000 Future Frigate combat system alongside the CEA CEAFAR radar and Lockheed Martin Aegis combat management system.
“The history of 9LV in Australia started with the original Anzac frigates,” Saab’s business development manager – Maritime market Asia Pacific, Suzanne Birch told the Show Daily.
“That was what we called the Mk3 Anzac system, and then through the ASMD (Anzac Ship Missile Defence) upgrade we installed the Mk3E system.”
“We leveraged the work being done in Sweden on the Visby class for the 3E system, and that was the LHD baseline as well,” added Saab’s SEA 5000 program manager, Geoffrey Stephens.
“The latest technology has moved very much towards an open architecture system which leverages commercial technology and has built in security features to really deal with the cyber threat.”
“The AOR will be the first ship with that technology because of the timing of that, and there will be programs to retro-fit that back into Anzac as well through an insertion program,” Stephens said.
“We’re already developing that retrofit software using Saab’s own funding so when the customer is ready to proceed we’ll be ready.”
“Because we do the development from Australia, we’ve been able to work with the Navy throughout the entire development process, so we’ve been able to tailor it specifically for their needs,” Birch said.
“Saab is very proud of the collaborative relationships we have established with the Australian Government, primes and SMEs to successfully deliver a world-leading capability to the RAN.”
The company was also announced as having secured a role in the SEA 4000 Phase 6 upgrades for the new Hobart class Air Warfare Destroyers, but is yet to define what that role will be.