Air Traffic Control provider Airservices Australia has signed a contract with INDRA , a Spanish based services conglomerate, to replace aging en route radars across Australia.
The contract is valued at 45 million AUD and is to replace eleven radars across Australia. The existing radar system was installed in the early 1990s with a planned service life of 15 years. By the time the last radar has been replaced it would have been in service for about 20 years. These radar systems are essential for the surveillance of transcontinential air traffic and supplement the Australian ADS-B satellite system.
The first radar to be replaced will be Round Mountain which is located in northern NSW. Others to be replaced are Hann Tableland (QLD), Mt Bobbara (NSW), Kalamunda (WA), Mt Boyce (NSW), Tabletop Mountain (QLD), Hardgrave (QLD), Mt Alma (QLD), Summertown (SA), Mt Macedon (VIC), and Swampy Ridge (QLD). With the exception of Kalmunda radar which is used for air traffic within 200 miles of Perth, the other radars will provide a continous chain of surveillance around the east coast from Cairns to Adelaide.
The project is planned to be completed by 2015. The new radars will include a radar Mode S capability which is an upgrade over the current Mode C system. The contract includes logistical support until 2030.
http://newsroom.airservicesaustralia.com/releases/en-route-radars-to-be-replaced
for more information.